“I like Kyle fine. I don’t like how close he is with you,” he said. “But that’s not my place.”I lifted my brow. Was he jealous? That was interesting. “You’re right, it’s not your place.”I glanced over at him and caught a momentary scowl on his expression. If he was jealous, it was cruel of me to let him think Kyle and I were anything more than what we were. There was zero romance or chance of romance between us. I just didn’t feel anything for him. He was handsome, but that spark had never existed and I was confident it never would.“But, since you brought it up, there’s nothing there between us. He’s a friend. A new friend at that,” I said. “He risked everything when he helped me. He’s just as dead as I am if we ever return. I owe him.”“He saved my ass, too,” Alec said. “I owe him for that and for getting you out.”“You realize that could have been prevented,” I reminded him.“You’re never going to let me forget that, are you?” he asked.“It’s a hard thing to let go,” I replied. “
As we walked, I tried to send away any thoughts that entered my mind. There was too much to consider and too much at stake.One thing at a time.That was the only way I was going to get through this. We stopped at a stream and drank some of the best water I’d ever tasted. Other than that, there were no breaks. I was eager to find my friends and make sure they were safe.“If Wolf Creek tracked us here, you think they’ll find us again?” I asked.“The others can take care of themselves. I would guess our immediate threat is gone,” he said.I hated that my friends had to cause harm to others on my behalf. Granted, the assholes from Wolf Creek deserved it, but I didn’t like that my friends had to take on the burden of protecting me. I wanted to be strong enough to fight my own battles and I was willing to put in the work to make myself and my wolf stronger.Ahead, I noticed a strange looking tower. It was bright blue and might have once been a tree. It wasn’t much thicker than the tree stump
As we walked, I tried to send away any thoughts that entered my mind. There was too much to consider and too much at stake.One thing at a time.That was the only way I was going to get through this. We stopped at a stream and drank some of the best water I’d ever tasted. Other than that, there were no breaks. I was eager to find my friends and make sure they were safe.“If Wolf Creek tracked us here, you think they’ll find us again?” I asked.“The others can take care of themselves. I would guess our immediate threat is gone,” he said.I hated that my friends had to cause harm to others on my behalf. Granted, the assholes from Wolf Creek deserved it, but I didn’t like that my friends had to take on the burden of protecting me. I wanted to be strong enough to fight my own battles and I was willing to put in the work to make myself and my wolf stronger.Ahead, I noticed a strange looking tower. It was bright blue and might have once been a tree. It wasn’t much thicker than the tree stump
“I told you, I don’t want to be with you,” I said. “Stop trying.”“I was being nice. I was willing to wait for you. You are my mate. You are the one who is supposed to comply,” Tyler growled.“No. You are the one who should,” I snapped. I was done being afraid. Done backing down and running.Hands balled into fists, I took a step toward him. “You have two choices. You can break the bond and accept your place as a member of my pack, or I will kill you myself.”Tyler laughed. “Yourpack? It’smypack. You are mine. Same as a pair of shoes or an obedient dog. You’re my property.”I lifted my shirt enough to show the mark. “I am your alpha.”Tyler’s laugher died. “I thought they were lying. My dad said he saw the mark, but I thought it was his excuse to kill you.”“You will allow me to break the bond,” I insisted. “That is your only option.”Alec growled. He’d been silent this whole time, letting me handle Tyler, but I could sense his rising anger. “She’s giving you a choice you don’t deserv
The frustration of Tyler’s wolf was evident. He was impatient, with big movements that Alec saw coming a mile away. At first, I wasn’t sure why Alec was toying with him. I hadn’t seen the feral shifter fight, but he was strong and fast and had been united with his wolf for a long time. He had the mark of an alpha, which in theory, made him stronger and faster.Then, I realized with each attempted attack, Tyler was getting a little slower and Alec was correcting a little less. Alec’s wolf was wearing him out and studying the other wolf’s moves.Tyler lunged again, and this time, Alec rose up on his back legs, claws out, striking down the incoming wolf. Tyler’s wolf was knocked to the ground, his paws struggling to right himself before Alec charged him again.Teeth and claws came for Tyler before he was even on his feet. Alec was merciless in his attack, pinning the other wolf until he let out a pathetic yelp. A moment later, Tyler freed himself from Alec and leaped onto him, slicing hi
Tyler leaned closer to me, his lips brushing against my ear as he whispered. “Complete the bond.”My breath hitched and I pulled away from him. The bond was there, taunting me, tempting me, connecting me to the male standing in front of me. It would be so easy to let fate win, to surrender. Fighting back was harder. My mind felt fuzzy and for a moment, I wondered why I was pushing back. A mating bond was a gift, wasn’t it? I deserved to be happy. That’s what a mate was supposed to bring: happiness.That isn’t what Tyler will bring.My inner wolf was the one who brought me back to my senses. If she was fighting the bond, I knew we could do it.I closed my eyes, forcing myself to remember the hurt Tyler had caused me. My wolf stirred within me.Is this what you want?She seemed to want to make sure I was ready to break the bond. To live with the consequences of my actions. It was rare to find a true mate. It could bring power and strength and happiness. But that wasn’t what Tyler would br
Shelia navigated for us while Malcom and Kyle took turns carrying Alec. I kept constant, obsessive lookout for Tyler. We couldn’t risk anyone knowing where the witch lived or what she was doing. But we couldn’t afford to wait to go to her for help, either.Every hour, when the males switched who was carrying Alec, I checked his breathing and heartbeat. I wasn’t sure if it was in my head or not, but it felt like it was getting harder to find his pulse.Furious at myself for causing so much harm, I focused on the anger I felt toward Tyler. It drove me. As long as I felt mad, I wasn’t feeling the pull toward the bond.“I should have let the bookcase slam into him,” I muttered under my breath.Sheila slowed down and matched her pace with mine. “How you doing?”“This is all my fault,” I said. “The whole mess. How did I end up as a damsel in distress always waiting for someone else to save my ass? It’s not right. I swore that I’d be stronger when I got free of Wolf Creek.”“You’re no damsel
She’d been at camp for years and knew everyone. She told me about Mario and how he’d won his first classic car in a poker game with a goblin. He’d been a chef in a major city and while she didn’t know exactly why he’d gone feral, she was pretty sure the goblin mafia was involved.“I didn’t even know there was a goblin mafia,” I admitted.“There’s a seedy underworld for every species,” she said. “But out of all of them, the vampires are by far the worst. Nobody crosses them.”“I always thought the witches were the worst,” I said.“They’re awful, but they are a bit more straightforward. Vampires will spend decades waiting for the perfect revenge. That whole immortal thing works in their favor, I suppose,” she said.I’d never met a vampire. Or a goblin. Or even a human, to be honest. I’d been so sheltered where I grew up that all I knew about the outside world was from books and lectures in school. I’d ignored more than I should have because I didn’t think I’d need to use it since I was
The entire household was buzzing as they finished preparations for the Solstice celebration. The longest night of the year happened to fall on a full moon, which meant one party of epic proportions.I took a deep breath as I prepared to greet the guests. While having the alphas of the packs for visits had almost become routine, this gathering was different.Alec took hold of my hand. “You’re going to be great. Nothing bad is going to happen. This is what you’ve been working so hard for the last year.”He was right, of course. And he’d been by my side for every step. I was truly grateful to have such a strong and supportive leader by my side. We’d found a balance in the last year, working together to improve pack relations and begin the process for positive change for all shifters.Tonight we took that a step further. While we’d been working to break down the years of animosity between us and the witches, our alliance was still in its infancy.Shifter and witches both held sacred conne
While my old pack was busy peppering Kyle with questions, I took Alec aside. “You doing okay?”“Yeah,” he said. “I know Kyle’s going to deal with this mess well.”“And you and I get to deal with the bigger mess,” I said. “If my uncle was authorizing Wolf Creek’s use of the toxin to take out their neighbors, what else don’t we know?”“I know Spencer said to give them a chance, but you sure you want a council that enabled that behavior to stick around?” Alec asked.He had a very good point. “I’m not sure I do want them around. But I do think we need to learn from them and find out what has been going on for the last few decades.”“You’re not out of the woods yet. You’re a walking target, you know that, right?” Alec asked.“I know. I wish I wasn’t used to it,” I said. “But at least I’m not alone this time. I’ve got you, Sheila and Malcom. And the four of us can work together to figure out who we can and can’t trust.”“They’re good shifters. Even before Malcom shared his story, I got the
“If it were me, I’d have a couple of guards escort him to his home and give him an hour to pack. Then, I’d kick his ass out.” Horace took a deep breath. “That toxin has been the black mark on my time of service. I would be honored if you’d allow me to help you destroy it.”“I’d like that,” I said.“Guards, escort him to his home. Check the roster for his inner circle, past and present. Kick them all out.” For once, the strict rules and lists for who was considered the alpha’s inner circle worked to my benefit. All packs had to keep records. As long as Ace has been in power, he’s kept track. The positions were valued but there were shifters who’d turned them down. Everyone knew working for Ace meant good things for your family, but it might cost you everything.A pair of my guards escorted Ace away. Several members of his inner circle followed him. Wolf Creek deserved a chance at peace.To my surprise, Viki, Ace’s wife approached me. She had yellow and purple bruises on her face, nearl
“Ace Grant, I strip you of your title and your role as alpha of Wolf Creek,” I said.“No, you can’t do that. You can’t. I earned this.” He stood, his hands balled into fists.For a moment, I thought he might charge me. My guards moved closer and Alec stood in front of me.Ace took a step back and Alec’s tension eased. He stepped aside, but stayed right next to me.“You stole the title,” I said. “You didn’t work for it. You didn’t earn it. You didn’t prove anything to gain it.”“He doesn’t even have a mark,” someone shouted from behind. The gathered shifters cheered in response.“Send him to the caves!” Another voice called. The cheers grew even wilder.I smirked, knowing I had been correct. I was never alone here, we were all prisoners.“Please no, have mercy,” Ace said. “I already lost my son. Isn’t that enough?”“You don’t want to be trapped in the caves?” I had no intention of sending him there, but I had to admit I was enjoying hearing him beg.“I didn’t betray anyone. It’s not a
Wolf Creek was ready to greet the royal family when we arrived. The entire pack turned out, everyone gathered in front of the barn as requested.I could see them waiting as we approached, careful to keep myself hidden from view behind the guards and accompanying council. I didn’t tell them why I wanted to return here, and I was certain they were expecting some kind of happy reunion.Alec was already seething with rage, the emotion far more intense than it should be. My wolf clawed at my chest, wanting to get out to comfort her mate. That’s when I realized I wasn’t just sensing Alec’s emotions, I was feeling his inner wolf. And he was pissed.My wolf was distracted by her mate. Her feelings toward Wolf Creek secondary to his discomfort. It was interesting that Alec’s hate toward Wolf Creek was two-fold. I could feel his personal vendetta against my old pack mixed with a need to protect and defend his mate. In a strange way, it was kind of sweet.“Let me take lead on this,” I said to hi
The four of us stepped through the double doors and the members of the council rose when they saw us. They had been seated at a long wood table, with a dozen chairs. At one end of the table there was a chair twice the size of the others. A crackling fire glowed in a wood fireplace behind it. The floor was dark wood and a red and gold rug sat under the long table. The chandeliers above the table were made of antlers, a very different aesthetic from the crystal I’d seen in the other parts of the home.“Thank you for waiting,” I said, trying to sound more calm and commanding than I felt in the moment.“Of course, your highness,” one of the men said.I walked to the larger chair and sat down. The gathered males took their seats. One side of the table was my family, on the other, the four males who made up my predecessor’s council. It was an odd arrangement, but if Spencer thought it was worth hearing what they had to say, I’d give it a chance.“We are honored that you’re willing to meet w
Breakfast with my friends felt familiar and safe. Sheila, Malcom, and Kyle had mostly waited to eat until we arrived. The guards stood outside the room, and at my instance, the staff was willing to leave the food and let us serve ourselves.To my friends’ credit, they all steered the topic of conversation toward random things that were unrelated to our current situation. It was as if they knew I needed a little break before I had to figure out how to do the job I’d committed to when I took down the old king.We ate till we were all stuffed and laughed at Malcom’s stories about trying to learn how to fix a car and accidentally setting it on fire. Tears streamed down my cheeks as I pictured Mario’s face. “I bet he never let you near his car again.”“Only if I’m trying to fix it. Driving I’m fine with. It’s when you give me tools that it causes an issue.”“I’ll keep that in mind,” I said.“Your highness,” a male voice said.I turned and saw one of my guards. Malaki, I think.He was holdin
I stretched out my hand and he took it. The two of us silently followed Spencer. I didn’t need to look behind me to know that my guards were following me. It was one of those things I was going to have to get used to, I supposed.“Have you seen her this morning?” I asked.“Not yet,” Spencer said.“You think Star can help her?” I asked Alec.“If anyone has a chance, it’s her,” Alec said. “She figured out an antidote to that toxin. And you’ve seen what else she can do.”That was part of my concern. What if Star hadn’t been able to help my mom? If she couldn’t, I wasn’t sure anyone else could.As we continued down hallways lined with doors, and up a few flights of stairs, I considered what I would even say to her. Everything in my mind about my mom was so full of conflict. I wanted to help her, but she was also such a source of pain for me. She might not have been in control, but why did she have to do that to herself in the first place? Why did she flee to Wolf Creek of all places? Why
I woke to the sound of knocking. My eyelids fluttered open as a warm pair of arms pulled me tighter. A smile spread on my lips as the events of last night came flooding into my mind.Of course, the good memories of three rounds of fucking fantastic sex with Alec were followed by the memory of the challenge. I sat up, nearly elbowing Alec in the process.“What’s wrong?” His voice was groggy.“I beat the shifter king last night,” I said.He chuckled. “Yeah, you’re the queen. We already knew that.”“Right, but that means there are people expecting things from me.” I had ideas. Big ideas. Things I wanted to change, but I wasn’t sure what the protocols were or what hoops I’d need to jump through. Spencer had said he’d help.I glanced at the clock on the bedside table. It was ten in the morning.Holy shit.They must have ended the party without me and nobody bothered us all night.I guess there were perks to being the shifter queen.The knock sounded again and I scrambled off the bed, grabbin