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
Alec looked awful. His skin was clammy and pale, his breathing ragged. I walked behind whoever was carrying him, not taking my eyes off him.He’d pushed me out of the way and taken the super high dose of toxin that was intended for me. I wasn’t sure if Tyler’s intention had been to kill me or to render me so incapable of fighting back that he could do as he wished. I shuddered at the thought.Alec had saved me from so much worse than death. A grim thought settled in my mind. Was death the better option than risking losing myself to the mating bond?I pushed the thought away. I couldn’t go there right now. Alec needed me. I was going to get him through this and help him recover. The rest of it could wait. It had to wait.We approached a rocky hillside that seemed to appear out of nowhere. It didn’t match the rest of the landscape and it reminded me far too much of the caves back at Wolf Creek.Sheila was leading us right for a huge rock that appeared to be rolled in front of the hill.
After making sure he was breathing and had a pulse, I set my palm on his forehead. He was burning up. I looked up at Malcom, who was holding Alec like a bride. His expression changed as he read mine.“What is it?” Malcom asked.“He’s got a fever,” I said.“She’s ready for us,” Sheila called.I turned away from Malcom and looked toward the house. Sheila was standing in the doorway, waiting for us.Malcom walked ahead, cradling Alec in his arms. I lingered behind, waiting for him to get through. Kyle moved next to me. “He’s going to get the help he needs now.”“I hope so,” I said.“He’s tough, he’ll fight through,” he assured me.I reached for Kyle’s hand and squeezed. “Thank you, for everything.”“It’s my job,” he said.“It’s more than that,” I said.He smiled, then walked forward toward the house. I followed him, steeling myself for whatever would happen next.The interior of the home took the exterior up a notch. It was like walking into a palace. The outside was fairy tale cottage,
Malcom and Kyle helped get Alec situated on the table while the young witch looked on.“Does she have a name?” I whispered to Sheila.“Star,” the witch said without looking up.“Beautiful name,” I said.“Guess they had big plans for me until my sight was taken. Once my eyes faded, they no longer called me anything.” She moved closer to Alec.“Parents can be awful.” We had a lot in common.Star hummed absentmindedly, her attention elsewhere. She was examining Alec’s wounds, her long, thin fingers trailing down his arms, gliding over the cuts on his stomach, then traveled down to his feet.As far as I could tell, her lack of traditional vision didn’t hold her back at all. Her fingers were nimble and sure, and her brow furrowed as she made her assessments.“He’s slipping,” she said.“What do you mean?” Sheila asked.My chest tightened and I felt like a lead weight fell into the pit of my stomach.“She means he’s dying.”“He should already be dead, honestly. Whoever gave him that much toxi
I knew it was probably still too early to know for sure if it worked but even this small amount of good news was enough to ease some of the knots in my stomach.Star walked past me and I took her place at Alec’s side. Sheila joined me. “This is going to work.”“I think so, too,” I said as I gently removed one of the bandages. With all the dried blood and dirt, it was impossible to tell if it was healing. I looked back at Star. “Do you have any antiseptic or something we can clean these wounds with?”She grabbed a bottle of rubbing alcohol and some washcloths and walked them over to me. “I’m not used to having to clean wounds on shifters. This’ll sting, but it’s the best I’ve got.”I accepted the items from her. “Thanks.”Sheila got to work removing all the makeshift bandages and I poured alcohol onto the cloth. Carefully, I started to clean each wound, checking for any signs that they were healing faster. It was difficult to tell if there was any change in them. It was either too smal
“We have to be outdoors for this spell to work,” Star said.I glanced down at Alec. “Will you be okay?”“I’m fine. Try not to get attacked or anything while I’m healing,” he said.“As long as there’s no surprises waiting for me out there, I should be just fine,” I said.“Ouch.” He looked hurt. “One of these days, you’ll forgive me.”I hadn’t meant to hurt him, the comment came without thought, but I wasn’t fully over it yet. Alec’s brush with death showed me how important he was and how badly I wanted him in my life. But we weren’t done healing the mistrust between us.Malcom walked over to where I was standing near Alec. “I’ll keep an eye on her.”“You might not want that job,” I said. “Look what it did to Alec.”“I’ll take my chances,” he said with a grin.“I’m far more worried about you than I am about me,” I told Alec.“You want me to stay with him?” Kyle offered.I was surprised he was willing to stay behind. His offer showed me how much he trusted Alec, despite his past actions.
I had to agree with Malcom, it didn’t sound good. But I wasn’t going to press the issue after her warning. A subject change seemed best. “So, what’s next?”Star lifted her arms dramatically and black ribbons shot from her fingertips. They widened and grew until they were like long swaths of fabric.My jaw dropped open as I watched this happen too quickly to realize what was going on. By the time I processed that she was enclosing us in, it was too late.Everything was dark.I heard muffled screams outside the gazebo and I knew Malcom was calling for me. My pulse raced and my senses went into overdrive. The air felt still and the fresh scent of the forest was lacking. Instead, I swore I could smell something spicy, like cinnamon. Without the breeze, it felt too warm. I resisted the urge to panic, forcing myself to take slow, steady breaths.I couldn’t see anything in the pitch black of the gazebo. My eyes widened as if I could see better that way. Realizing what I was doing, I blinked
The three of us headed back to her basement where Alec, Sheila, and Kyle were gathered. Alec was sitting up now and he looked so much better than when we’d left.His smiling face didn’t last long, though. “What happened?”“You gave me vampire blood, that’s what happened,” Star snapped.“No, I got the blood from Spencer, himself. He handed it to me,” Alec said.“Did you watch him draw the blood from his vein?” Star asked.Alec’s shoulders sagged. “No.”“Fuck, Alec. Such an amateur mistake.” Star ran a hand through her cropped hair. “That creature could have killed all of us if I’d completed the spell.”“He played me,” Alec said.“Sounds right,” I said bitterly. “Now I know why him and my mom got along so well.”“So now the shunned prince knows about his alpha kid and he knows there’s a witch willing to use blood magic against him?” Star sounded pissed. “Are you trying to get all of us killed?”“For once, I’d like something to go right,” I said.Star tensed. “Who else was with your grou
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