Novels by Katey Fade

Hugo prepared to pounce again, steady and stealth. As little experience he had with this form, it came so naturally to him. I might have admired it, if he weren’t about to attack Byron. I snapped myself out of my daze, my instincts screaming to move. Move where? This wasn’t my fight. Hugo had challenged Byron for the pack. For me. This wasn’t the human; this was the wolf. Pure wolf instinct. Doc had said not to engage. Maybe engaging is what had prolonged Hugo’s conscious state. He was supposed to have passed out by now, but then again, he was not the average wolf. He was an Alpha. I wasn’t even sure that was possible, but everything about the midnight wolf told me otherwise. I watched his body tense, but just before he jumped, he slumped to the side with a whimper. Byron’s ears perked up, not understanding. The midnight wolf was Hugo again, and Hugo was unconscious. The episode was over. It took us all several seco

I was the first in the room, followed closely by Cass and Hanon. The other wolves, rogue or pack, didn’t move past the entrance. They peered in with morbid curiosity but couldn’t bring themselves to experience this up close. This room looked to be a second living room, with one couch and a tv set up on the opposite wall. Hugo had been set on the couch initially, but with all the thrashing and screaming, he had to be moved to the floor. “There’s a bed upstairs…” Hanon began, but Doc cut him off. “One hit from him in this state could be lethal. He doesn’t have control of himself. We can’t risk it, for the sake of everyone he will remain here.” Hanon nodded, but I was wondering how Doc knew that. No one else but Doc would come close to his son, except me. I knelt beside him and he handed me a warm rag. “Wipe his forehead but be watchful of his hands.”

The rogues had recruits come in soon after the fight had died down. The elders ended up trading places with my youths, having their wrists and ankles bound. My pack didn’t make a move towards me, but I could see they wanted to. I hadn’t moved from my place on the floor, cradling Hugo’s head in my lap. He hadn’t moved since the injection, but his breathing had gotten stronger. I could see the wound already working to heal. Whether or not he made it, my blood was a natural remedy for his wounds. Byron’s youths took seats on the stairs, watching the rogues warily. They weren’t bound, since they hadn’t made a move to attack. I wanted to know what he was thinking, but I couldn’t bring myself to ask. I’d come too far from the girl he thought I was, there was no going back. From the corner of my eye, I saw the rogues ease into the sofas. All except Doc, who sat near me, and my father, who’d taken to guarding the Redc

It wasn’t until I heard his voice that I noticed his scent entwining with the others in the room. There were so many werewolves in such an enclosed space, it had been so easy to miss at first. He stepped from around the corner. No one moved. This made him smile as he reached for the door. Several Redclaw elders entered, stone faced and ready. They were followed by the Redclaw youths and…my father. If I hadn’t been fearful before, I definitely was now. My father didn’t look at me; he looked through me. I heard commotion and seconds later, my pack was pushed through the door. They were not coming in willingly. This was a relief as much as it was horrifying. Fyn came in last, his bound hands tearing at the Redclaw elder that held onto him. I saw his nails slash across the elders face and bright red blood appear. Enraged, the older wolf shoved him as hard as possibly able. Fyn hit the ground with a sickening thud. My instinct was to rush to him, but I was

Doc hurried upstairs to retrieve the man I’d heard so much about. I didn’t know what made me more uncomfortable; Hugo walking home when Redclaw could be stalking for him at the very moment or knowing the man who convinced my mother to betray her pack and the Elites was right above my head. I tensed as the stairs creaked. It was almost dramatic, how his feet appeared, then his legs, then his torso, and finally his face. He was a broad man, every inch of him screaming Alpha. Equal. This was the silent confirmation. He was my equal. He was an alpha. An alpha without a pack. When he stepped into the living room and looked up, his face paled. It was such an odd sight to see. His face didn’t look like it drained of color very often. I watched him with unease. Doc and Cass stepped into the hall, leaving me alone with this man. He took a step towards me and I took a step back, my lip pulling in a snarl. He put his hands up, realizing his mistake, and nodded affirmingly. “You’re Natalia.” He

I knocked on the door for the third time. I knew it was only my impatience, but it felt like it was taking too long for them to answer. They had to be home. They had to be. I strained to hear past the door, but there was nothing. Silence. Deafening silence. My wolf paced in the corner of my mind, whining at the anticipation. Finally, I heard the latch on the door unhook and watched the knob turn. Doc’s face peeked at me through the small opening, but this wasn’t an invitation for me to come in. No, he was staring at me with confusion. “Natalia?” I froze. My heart stopped. The undeniable stench, foreign to an average human home, hit my nose like a warning. Wolf. Move. Trying to be as kind as I could manage, I shoved my foot into the opening and pried it open. Doc’s eyes widened but I kept going until there was enough room for me to slip in. I put my fingers to my lips when I saw him about to speak. He reached out a hand to grab me, but I shrugged him off and continued into the ha

Week one had gone as perfectly as it could have. Except for Fang puking something vile overboard, the day to day activity was steady and educating. I picked it up like I was a regular sailor. I learned as long as I listened to Verano and did my part, the ride was smooth. My brother was a prince, but he acted like one of the crew. I took after him, forming my own bonds with the sailors. There were still certain things the men didn’t let me do, but for the most part, they trusted me enough to leave me alone. Dinner was my favorite time of the day. At the end of the chaos, we all came together to laugh and chow on stew. The chef, a man named Jaden, was a former resident of Prune. Our crew was lucky to have him. Occasionally, we would interlock with the other two ships and eat on the deck together, but I didn’t know the other crews very well. I learned early on that the men were heavy drinkers, but it came with the gig. When the rum came out so did the stories. Some of them sounded like

That night I met the crew I’d be sailing with for the next month. They were rowdy from the moment I stepped into the house, eager to meet the Princess that dared to sail alongside them through danger. My brother fit right into this crowd, I realized. He wasn’t like my father at all. My father was a devoted ruler to Oceane and always had been. He’d come from Prune, where they believed strongly in honor. Armelle believed in living in the moment, taking life as it comes. He believed in being in the heat of the battle, not giving the orders from a safe distance. He believed honor came from inclusion, and his people respected him for it. Here, they didn’t call him Prince, they called him Melle. He was their friend. He was living the life I’d always wanted. I watched my brother drink with the sailors. While I didn’t participate, I enjoyed the ambiance. As a Princess, the only parties I’d ever been to were balls, and they were not nearly as fun. In fact, compared to the cheerful singing an

One week had passed since my meeting with the Prince and I was filled with anticipation for the next. I’d been sure of my answer in the moment, but I was beginning to have second thoughts. Arsenal had none of the same beliefs my people had. We were explorers, bound to where the sea carried us. It was in our blood to adventure into the unknown, but I wasn’t sure this was an adventure I wanted to go on. Who would I be in Arsenal? It wasn’t too late to reject the proposal, but I couldn’t bare the thought of letting my father down again. He had been so proud of me. I was sitting in the garden again when he found me. In one swift motion I was knocked to the ground, my dress smothering and swarming me. I huffed, pushing the impossible ruffles out of my face as to not be suffocated. “Melle!” My brother laughed, taking up a defensive stance. “Come on, Kiki. I thought I told you to never let your guard down?” I struggled to my feet and swiped at him, but he easily jumped back. I couldn

The garden was most beautiful at night, under the light of the moon. I sat at my favorite bench, letting my thoughts overwhelm me. I know I’d embarrassed my father, but I’d meant every word. Thinking of anyone but my family ruling over Oceane was not an option. For generations, we’d helped our people prosper and ruled with elegant grace. That’s what I told myself my reasoning was, anyways. The truth was much more selfish. For generations, The Royals of Ocean had given birth to men. Those men had always chosen Oceane as their place of residence, never allowing their birthright to go to waste. My mother had been the first woman to be first born in our bloodline. She was an only child. For years, her parents feared a prince would take her to his kingdom and Oceane’s fate would fall to another ruler. My father had saved them from their worry. He had gracefully chosen Oceane, because he loved my mother with everything he had. I wanted to live in Oceane, because I wanted to be surrounded

I remember that day like it was yesterday. The calling of our sighters atop the wall, the horses galloping in with an urgent message, my father welcoming them into his palace like old friends. He had been waiting for this day my entire life, but it was the one I’d been dreading. “King Asban.” The rider knelt to his knees, bowing his head at the feet of my father. I straightened up in my throne, eyeing the muscle of a man. His armor barely contained the bulk beneath; it was clear he was a worthy soldier. The other three behind him did the same, keeping their head bowed until they were told to rise. My father raised his chin ever so slightly, as he always did in the presence of neighboring kingdom’s subjects. My mother used to say it was his greatest pleasure to pretend to be an unappeasable ruler. My father took his place at his throne as the men rose to their feet. The lead rider clutched something in his hands like his life depended on it. Rashid, my father’s army commander, to