Wayward Son

by Kimbra Swain

  Wayward Son

  Dog River Wolfpack Prequel

  Kimbra Swain

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Kimbra Swain

  Wayward Son, Dog River Wolfpack, Prequel, December 2019

  ASIN: B081Z1QWJS

  Kimbra Swain / Crimson Sun Press, LLC

  kimbraswain@gmail.com

  crimsonsunpress@gmail.com

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This book contains material protected under International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without express written permission from the author / publisher.

  Ebook Cover by: Fantasia Cover Design: Sharon Lipman

  Formatting by: Crimson Sun Graphics

  Editing by Carol Tietsworth: https://www.facebook.com/Editing-by-Carol-Tietsworth-328303247526664/

  Contents

  Introduction

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Teaser Chapter

  Introduction

  Wayward Son is Dominick Meyer telling his story to Wynonna Riggs. She isn’t referenced at all in the story, but there will be a point in Bad Moon Rising, Book One, where Nick tells her all about his past.

  This is his story.

  One

  After many years of trying, my father and mother conceived a child. Francisco Meyer was the Alpha of the Whiskey Chitto Wolfpack. We weren’t the largest pack in Louisiana, but we lived in the harsh conditions of the swamplands. The wild areas provided a natural barrier to other packs who were constantly vying to consume packs and take over new areas. Many other packs desired the land we lived upon, but rarely did we see opposition.

  Word had spread through the packs that Frank and his wife, Regina, were expecting. Good wishes were received from other local packs, but those wishes weren’t much other than placations to keep the peace.

  Late one evening, Regina and some females of the pack were having a baby shower. The men of the pack had gathered to celebrate and drink beer. At the height of the parties, an unknown pack attacked our stronghold.

  Father told me that there were screams of terror from the house where the women had gathered. The other packs were specifically targeting his wife and unborn child. Despite being inebriated, Frank gathered his warriors and defended our lands, chasing the attackers deep into the swamps away from our homes.

  When Father returned, he found Regina surrounded by the women of the pack. The stress of the attack had triggered labor for the anticipated child. She gave birth to a stillborn boy that night and could never conceive again.

  The pain of losing the child hit the entire pack. While no one was seriously hurt, except for Regina, the men began to question my father’s leadership abilities. They even questioned his Alpha nature.

  Frank had never been the strong enforcer, as most were used to with Alpha wolves. He had a gentle manner of speech but fought viciously to protect his family and his pack.

  Several years passed and Frank remained faithful to his wife until she presented a solution for their lack of an heir.

  “Take another wife. It’s not uncommon for an alpha wolf to have multiple wives. It ensures the longevity of the pack,” Regina suggested.

  “No,” Frank replied. He refused to look at another the same way he did his wife.

  “It would be a mating of convenience. I would not be jealous. In fact, it would be a relief for me if you could produce an heir to stabilize the pack. There are more and more rumors of packs encroaching on our lands. We have to do it for the pack,” she insisted.

  “I could never be with anyone else,” Frank replied. “If this is the end of my reign, then so be it. Perhaps I should just turn over the rule to my Beta.”

  “Vince Huxley is not strong enough to rule. Creed Davis will kill him the moment he takes control,” Regina said.

  “Creed is not one of us. The pack would not accept his rule,” Frank said.

  “I don’t understand why he even lives here. How do you tolerate him? He’s a womanizer, and we have known him to rough up the girls,” she said.

  “Those are all rumors. I’ve checked out all the claims and found no evidence that he’s hurt anyone,” he said.

  “Bury your head in the sand, Frank. You can’t see anything about what is going on here. It will be the death of us all. This land has been in our families’ hands for many generations, and you are willing to let it all go,” she said, then stomped off into her bedroom, locking him out.

  He slumped in his recliner thinking about what she had suggested. There had to be another way, and he went out that night looking for it.

  Two

  The Whiskey Chitto Creek stretched across the Wolfpack’s lands. The small creek was large enough for canoeing and swimming. That night, the moon rose full. Frank ran in wolf-form through the trees along the banks of the creek. He listened to the sounds of the surrounding forest, but never felt like he was in danger.

  He’d finally cooled his anger several miles from the house and took a moment to sit down by the creek for a drink. The water stirred unnaturally, and a woman who glowed bright blue appeared.

  “Hello, Alpha,” she said, bowing to him.

  My father shifted back to his human form despite being completely naked. He knew she was a fairy, and they never seemed to mind the lack of clothes. She wore a long gown which dragged along the water as she approached him.

  “What do you want?” he asked.

  “To aid you. I understand you have a problem,” she said.

  “I don’t have any problems, and I don’t need help from you or your kind.”

  “There are Faeborn wolves in your pack,” she said.

  “Every pack has a few Faeborn wolves,” he countered.

  “And now you need an heir, which I could provide.”

  Frank laughed at her, because he knew fairies always had an angle. She wanted something in return. The price to pay a fairy was always cheap and usually a trick.

  “No, thanks,” Frank said.

  “I, too, want a son,” she said, enticing him to have sympathy. He saw through her ploy.

  “There is something you want, but it’s not a son,” Frank said.

  “True. I have no desire to have more children, but I do need the patronage of powerful men,” she said.

  “Patronage?”

  “Yes, of course, you and your pack would provide me with payment for all the days that your son lives.”

  “No,” he said, turning to walk away.

  “Fine. Then for all the days you live.”

  “Look. Do you want me to find an iron stake and shove it in your heart? I’m not interested,” he said, then shifted back to wolf and rushed home to his wife.

  When he returned, the door to the bedroom was still locked. He couldn’t fathom that she was mad at him because he refused to sleep with another woman. He thought his Alpha genes weren’t strong, because he refused to beat the door down as some would have. He gathered a blanket and used a throw pillow to sleep o
n the couch.

  He slept there for several nights, because whenever his wife mentioned the subject of producing an heir, he shut her down.

  Three

  One day while walking the creek bank with some of his pack, including his Beta, they found tracks. Investigating what they had found, they could determine that twelve wolves had passed through their territory.

  Frank sent one of his best men to trace the tracks from their origin, then sent another toward their destination.

  “Do not engage them. I just want to know who it was,” Frank instructed.

  The men nodded, then shifted to wolves to track the intruders. He waited all afternoon and through the evening for word from the two men he had sent. They did not return. He slept on the couch that night and awoke to someone beating on his door.

  Regina appeared from the bedroom, wrapped in a robe. He waved her back into the bedroom, because he sensed that something was wrong.

  He opened the door to see Creed Davis standing with a wolf’s head in his hands.

  “You sent them to their deaths,” Creed snarled, throwing the head at Frank’s feet.

  His heart lurched, seeing the dead cold eyes of one of his best men. However, he lashed out at Creed. “How dare you disrespect him by throwing his head around like meat? I will remove you from this pack for dishonor.”

  “You can’t remove me. You can’t even produce a child,” Creed returned in anger.

  Lights in nearby houses began to turn on, and Vince Huxley ran up. He gagged seeing the head and turned away.

  “Vince, gather the elders,” he said. Vince hurried away without speaking.

  Regina appeared beside him holding a white sheet. Frank helped her lay it on the ground. He lifted the head of the slain wolf, and together they wrapped it up with respect.

  “Get out of my face, Creed Davis. Your days here are numbered,” Frank said to him as he carried the wolf's head out of his house.

  “We will see about that,” Creed said, before lurking away.

  Frank took the head to the elders to apologize for his misjudgment, but none of them blamed him for the wolf’s death. They worried that Creed was stirring up discord among the pack. Many believed that Frank couldn’t produce an heir. He knew he would have to prove it to them or face the fact that they would oust him and Regina from the pack and leave them to fend for themselves for the rest of their lives. No matter where they went, their own kind would turn their backs on them. He couldn’t allow that to happen to her. So, he went back home and told her about the fairy woman in the forest.

  Four

  Regina sat patiently and listened to his story about the fairy woman. She didn’t speak for a long time after he finished the tale. Finally, she spoke.

  “I suppose at this point, we cannot be picky. However, you will pay her upfront for her services. None of this stretching it out will do,” Regina said.

  “I’m not sure she will go for it.”

  “She will, because I’m going with you,” Regina said.

  Frank felt awkward going with his wife to meet with the woman that she wanted him to have sex with. He couldn’t bend his traditional values to fit this strange situation. But he’d been sleeping on the couch for too long, and above all, he loved his wife.

  Frank and Regina walked out to the spot near the creek where he had met the fairy. He hadn’t gotten her name, not that she would have given it to him. So, they sat down on a nearby rock and waited.

  Just a few hours before dawn, the ethereal beauty approached them from the East. Her long gown illuminated the forest as she walked. The air around them turned noticeably colder. She smiled brightly when she saw Frank with his wife.

  “Well, hello Alpha,” she said greeting him.

  “Ma’am,” Frank said, nodding at her. “This is my wife, Regina.”

  “It is nice to meet you. My condolences on the loss of your son. It was a tragedy. I hope that I may help bring some stability and joy back into your life,” the fairy woman said.

  “Thank you,” Regina replied. She nudged Frank to tell the woman why they were there.

  “Regina and I have decided that it is best that I produce an heir by whatever means. The sooner the better. However, I want to pay your price up front. I have gold coins which I will be happy to part with to pay you,” Frank said.

  The fairy’s laugh sounded like tinkling bells. “I’m sorry, Alpha, but my terms will not change. I need you to pay homage to me in the manner I determine until your dying day.”

  “We won’t do that,” Regina interjected.

  “Then, you will have no heir, and a stronger pack with a stronger Alpha will consume your pack,” the fairy said flatly.

  “What is your name?” Regina asked.

  “My name is insignificant. You would not recognize it if I told it to you,” the fairy replied.

  “Give us something to call you,” Regina pushed.

  “Fine. If you insist, you may call me Araxia, because I came from the river,” she said.

  “Araxia, I believe that your price is too steep. We can negotiate the terms so that we are mutually compensated. I assure you that my husband is good in bed, and it will be an enjoyable experience for you,” Regina insisted.

  Condescension dripped from Araxia’s face. “I’ve been with many men and fairies. No wolf could top them.”

  “I could,” Frank said.

  “Quiet, man. The women are talking,” Araxia snarled at him. Something in her tone excited him. He liked a strong woman, and Araxia seethed with confidence and sex appeal. He allowed himself to notice, but only to make it through this ordeal. He refused to enjoy it for the sake of his wife.

  “What would you take besides gold? Or if you are determined to stretch out the payment, then it needs to be clearly defined and not changeable,” Regina lobbied.

  “Fine. I have colleagues who would like to pass through this area from time to time. They need lodging and food, and no questions asked,” Araxia said.

  “Where are they going?” Frank asked.

  Araxia flipped her hand up at him, and ice formed around his lips sealing them closed.

  “Wow. Teach me to do that,” Regina said. Regina despised the fairy, but she knew they liked to be flattered. She would butter the fairy up in whatever way she could to get this settled as quickly as possible.

  “That would be quite impossible. If you accept those terms, then do you have any other concerns?” Araxia asked.

  “The child. Do you want to be a part of his life?” Regina asked.

  “Absolutely not. I want nothing to do with him. I assure you that I am capable of producing the heir you need, but once he is born, he will belong to his father. In fact, I never want him to know my name,” Araxia said.

  Regina already felt sorry for the child that hadn’t even been conceived. “And my husband?”

  “What about him?”

  “Will he need to service you more than once?”

  “No. Once will do, then I swear never to fuck your husband again. He will be all yours,” Araxia said.

  “We agree to the terms,” Regina said without another thought. Frank tried to protest behind his frozen lips, but he couldn’t speak. “When will you do it?”

  “It is a full moon. We shall do it now,” Araxia said. Her gown disappeared revealing her flawless body. Frank groaned. Then, Regina grabbed his crotch.

  She got in his face and said, “You are doing this for your pack. I feel your hardness. It won’t be a difficult task for you to fuck her. Just do it and come home. I’m tired of this bullshit.”

  He grunted when she released him. She hadn’t hurt him. He was a wolf. He liked it a little rough.

  “You are welcome to join us,” Araxia said.

  “No, thanks. Send him home when you are done,” Regina said, then shifted into her light grey wolf and ran toward home.

  My father said that it was the best sex he’d ever had in his life, but he’d never tell Regina that. He figured that she alread
y knew.

  Three months later, in the same spot, Araxia returned with a baby boy.

  “What will you name him?” Araxia asked.

  The baby boy squirmed in his blanket, looking up at his new parents. “We have named him, Dominick.”

  Araxia didn’t show any emotion. “My colleagues will need a place to stay three days from now. Can you provide this service for them?”

  “Yes, as we promised,” Frank said, looking down at his son with pride. He had dark hair and bright green eyes. A Faeborn wolf who would be strong enough to lead the pack.

  “How will we know when your colleagues will arrive each time?” Regina asked.

  “I will send word via raven,” Araxia replied. “If you do not keep our deal, I will destroy your pack and your son will die.”

  “Your son,” Regina snapped back at her.

  The fairy smiled. “I don’t have a son.” She turned, then walked away into the forest.

  Five

  For the first few years, my father adored me. He took me to all the pack meetings and events. Regina kept her distance. I could always see the hurt in her eyes. Father made me call her Mom or Mother, even though she begged him not to force me to do it. When I grew older, I understood why she didn’t want me. I reminded her of the son she lost because of my father’s weaknesses.

  Despite his efforts, the pack challenged his leadership. Sometimes those challenges bled over to me, and the children of those who listened to their parents plot against the Alpha. After my third suspension from school for fighting, my father took me into the woods near the creek. I don’t remember exactly how old I was, but I was only nine or ten.