I’d felt a pull toward Alec since we met, but I struggled to let him in. Now, every inch of me was drawing us closer. Desperate to feel his skin against mine, I slid my hands under his shirt and up his bare chest. It was as if my very soul was waking, urging me forward to complete the bond with him.Alec quickly pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it aside. His mouth claimed mine in the most hungry, intense kiss I’d ever felt. My body responded, heat growing low in my belly, wetness already spreading between my legs. I kissed him back, hard and fast and a little sloppy as I tried to also undo the buttons I’d just fastened.His fingers joined mine, the two of us unwilling to break the connection to stop and take my shirt off. We were moving backward, closer to the bed, as we continued the attempt to remove my clothes.Alec pulled away, breaking the kiss. I wined, desperate to feel his lips on mine again. With a growl, Alec pulled the fabric of my shirt apart, buttons popping as th

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

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

“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

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