War of Hearts

by S. Young

  This morning, however, he’d left the house early to greet three representatives from the Blackwood Coven. They were staying the night at the Coach House. It had been agreed that they would visit on the first night of the full moon to witness Thea shifting. Not only did witches draw power from the full moon, but members of Pack MacLennan were coming out in force tonight for their first run with their new alpha couple.

  It meant the witches had power on their side while the pack had numbers on theirs. An even playing field seemed the fairest way to ensure everyone’s cooperation and safety.

  Thea felt the fluttering of butterflies as she moved around the kitchen, making coffee and heating the oatmeal Conall had left her. Porridge, he called it. He ate it plain.

  Blech.

  Thea drizzled a generous amount of honey over the top of hers as she slid onto a stool at the island.

  Once the Blackwood Coven had evidence she wasn’t fae, Thea could only hope that would be the end of her story as one of the fae children being hunted. That finally she would be free to live her life as a werewolf in Pack MacLennan. She would lay low for a while until they felt the coast was clear, but then she would have to think about what she wanted to do with her life.

  “Would it be crazy if I went back to school?” Thea had asked Conall the night before as they laid together on his sofa, listening to the rain beat against the roof.

  “Why would it be crazy?”

  “Because I’m twenty-five years old and I don’t even have a GED.”

  “If you want to go back to school, go back to school.”

  “I like architecture,” she’d admitted a little shyly. “Traveling around so much, I was always fascinated by the way architecture told a story about the history of a place. I don’t know.”

  Conall had tilted her chin up so he could look into her eyes. “You can do anything you put your mind to, Thea. And you have options now. If you want to go back to school so you can go to university to study architecture, then that’s what you’ll do.”

  “I’ll get a job too,” she’d assured him. “I don’t want you to think I’m just going to live off you.”

  He’d scowled at that. Fiercely. “Every member of this pack gets a stipend from the proceeds of the pack businesses. If you think that doesnae include my mate, you’re wrong. And if I want to spoil the fuck out of you for merely being grateful that you fucking exist, I will. No arguments.”

  Thea snorted, outwardly, while inwardly she squirmed with pleasure at his words. “You got it, Chief.”

  She smiled around a mouthful of oatmeal.

  Had they only known each other a month?

  That was kind of crazy.

  It might have only been a month, but Thea didn’t care. Not only had Conall brought love and friendship into her life, he didn’t make her feel like she’d come to their relationship with less than he had. He gave her his trust, which few people had done in her life. It was strange how a person didn’t realize the impact being trusted and respected had on the psyche. In fact, Conall trusted her enough to leave her behind in charge of the pack when he traveled to Colorado with James next month to meet with Peter Canid.

  They were planning on working out a new alliance between them. Callie was going too as Conall’s lead warrior. Conall asked Thea if she wanted to come—in fact, he would have preferred it because he was still a little cagey about letting her out of his sight after Castle Cara—but Thea was still afraid of flying, even if she couldn’t blow up a plane anymore. Moreover, she was ready to just be in one place for a while and was interested to see how the pack reacted to her when she didn’t have Conall at her side.

  Upon her mate’s return from the States, he’d promised they’d begin their search for the woman from Prague whom Thea was convinced was fae. She needed to be protected, and she needed options, like Thea had been given. Conall had warned her not to get her hopes up regarding finding the young woman. At this point, she was a needle in a very large haystack. Still, Thea couldn’t help but hope.

  A knock at the door brought Thea’s head up but before she could make a move, it opened and Callie strolled inside, carrying a shoulder bag.

  “Morning,” she announced with a pretty smile.

  Pleased to see her, Thea responded in kind. “Did your brother send you to distract me from the fact that there are three powerful witches waiting at the Coach House for me to make my wolfy appearance tonight?”

  “Pretty much.” Callie slammed the shoulder bag down on the island and flicked open the flap. “And what better way to do that than force you to help me plan my wedding.”

  As she removed the piles of wedding magazines from the bag, her diamond-and-moonstone engagement ring flashed on her finger. James had given it to Callie in front of everyone in the Coach House pub a few nights ago.

  It had amazed Thea that she was there to witness and celebrate it when only a mere few weeks before, she’d had no family to speak of.

  “Does it bother you?” Thea asked as Callie slid onto the stool beside her.

  “Does what bother me?”

  “That you and James aren’t mates per se?”

  Callie wrinkled her nose. “Not really.” She grinned at Thea. “Do you know how rare it is to find your true mate? I mean, the fact that Conall has found his after our mum and dad found theirs is practically unheard of. Not finding your true mate doesnae mean we cannae find deep, abiding love. I know it for a fact because that’s what I have with James. Even if I did miraculously find my true mate, I’d tell him to bugger off. I only want James … but dinnae tell him that.”

  Thea chuckled. “He’s a lucky man.”

  “Yup.” Callie didn’t disagree. “So, I was thinking for bridesmaids’ dresses … emerald green.” She looked Thea up and down. “Yes, emerald green would work lovely with your hair and as a nice accent to mine.”

  Wait?

  What?

  “You mean … am I …?”

  Callie raised an eyebrow. “One of my bridesmaids? Of course.”

  Stunned, Thea lapsed into silence as her soon-to-be sister-in-law waffled on about venues and invitations and other things Thea was clueless about.

  “You should pay more attention,” Callie mused. “You’ll be doing this with Conall soon.”

  Thea didn’t think so. “Conall doesn’t seem like the wedding kind of guy.”

  “Oh, but he’ll marry you. Even if you’re true mates, he’ll legally want to make sure that everything that belongs to him belongs to you. I know my brother.”

  The thought of Conall putting a ring on Thea’s finger was more appealing than she’d imagined. She had never really pictured herself getting married, but she’d even put up with a huge meringue dress if it meant getting to shackle herself to him forever.

  Okay, maybe not a meringue dress.

  But wedding plans. She’d put up with wedding plans for Conall. It was only fair since she was putting up with it for Callie. Not that she was “putting up” with anything. Especially not for Callie who wanted her to be a bridesmaid.

  Gratitude swept through the nervousness the Blackwoods arrival had caused. With this pack, this gracious and loyal pack at her side, she had nothing to worry about it. Moreover, she wouldn’t allow anyone to hurt her new family.

  Thea may not be a fae anymore, but she was the biggest, baddest female alpha around and if she had to, she would set her wolf loose to see just exactly what that meant.

  “You ready?” Conall asked, squeezing Thea’s hand as they walked toward the backyard of the Coach House. It was an impressive building. The entrance door sat within a tall tower with a conical roof. Wings expanded on either side of the tower, built from brick and topped with a gray slate tiled roof. It had a gothic vibe to it, like it might have been built in the Victorian era.

  Thea could feel the collective energy of the pack. They made the air thick and caused all the hair on the back of her neck to stand up.

  “It won’t hurt?”

  “No. The
last few times you’ve changed, you’ve been in absolute control. When the moon hits its crest, it will command control of your body. It’s unsettling at first but you get used to it. More than that, you’ll revel in it. There’s something …” he flashed her a wicked grin, “pagan about it.”

  She knew what that wicked grin meant. “Hey, no funny business in front of the pack.”

  “I make no promises.”

  Shaking her head at his playfulness, Thea let Conall lead her around the back of the house. He released her hand but stayed close to her side as she witnessed the awe-inspiring sight of over a hundred werewolves gathered in the yard.

  Thea did as she had at the Challenge and projected her alpha aura. It was like a humming, sparking, golden spirit she could taste on her tongue as she imagined it propelling toward the pack.

  Conall said it fed the pack, it bonded them together, and they reveled in the power they felt from their alphas. Their response to it at the Challenge confirmed it.

  Despite Thea not knowing most of the pack members that well, they gave her respectful nods of their heads, murmuring her name in greeting as she passed along their lines with Conall. Callie and James stood off to the side, separated from the pack to highlight their rank. Beside them were three strangers.

  Feeling out the air around them, Thea detected a little bite of energy from their collective magic. A warlock stood between two witches. He had a shock of white-blond hair and pale skin, in complete contrast to the dark-haired, golden-skinned witches at his side. The women, according to Conall, were sisters, and the man, a high-ranking warlock within the coven.

  Her mate stopped in the center of the gathering and Thea stood by his side, her expression carefully neutral. The strangers studied her in surprise, like they hadn’t expected her to really be a werewolf. But they could sense the alpha in her. She could tell by their expressions.

  They were not amused.

  “Are you satisfied?” Conall asked without preamble.

  The man lifted his chin. His arrogance was palpable. “We’ll witness the shift before we are satisfied.”

  Conall emitted a little snarl but turned away from them to face the pack. Thea followed suit. Her eyes danced over the gathering. Grace and Angus eyed the strangers with distrust, as did some other members. But most were watching her, some wearing smiles, others vibrating with the call of the moon.

  And Thea could feel it. She could feel the pull toward the celestial being in the sky. Her eyes rose to it as the sun dipped out of sight and moonbeams cut through the dark landscape. It glistened across the loch in the distance.

  A burning, tingling sensation rippled down Thea’s spine and her gums began to throb.

  Conall was right.

  It was unsettling to feel the beginnings of the shift when she had not initiated it.

  Her mate undressed and the pack immediately followed his lead.

  Shit, she’d forgotten about this part.

  Public nudity.

  Thea cut Conall a look for not warning her and he threw her that boyish grin. “It isnae anything they havenae seen before, Thea love.”

  She heard chuckles from some pack members and gave her mate a dirty look before hauling her shirt over her head. His eyes darkened as he watched her shimmy out of her pants, and he didn’t look so cocky about his pack members seeing her naked.

  “It isnae anything they have havenae seen before,” she mocked.

  Conall’s expression promised delicious retribution for her cheekiness.

  She was about to respond in kind when the pleasure-pain of the transformation began. At the same time as Conall, her claws grew. Feeling Conall’s power swell out of him, flooding the pack and her, her knees trembled.

  He threw back his head and bellowed, “Ceannsaichidh an Fhìrinn!” and goosebumps covered Thea’s entire body. Jesus, he was magnificent.

  “Ceannsaichidh an Fhìrinn!” she yelled in unison with the pack. Her mate turned to look at her with pride bright in his gray eyes seconds before they both fell to their knees and let the change take them.

  Conall had been right. It was odd to not be in control of shifting, a little alarming at first, but once she let herself relax, it was easy. Natural. The transformation didn’t take long and soon Thea was closer to the ground, padding along the dewy grass to nuzzle against Conall in wolf greeting. He nipped playfully at her ear and she sidestepped him to make her way over to the members of the Blackwood Coven.

  She stared up at them, communicating silently. “Well? Satisfied?”

  The warlock appeared dismayed, but he nodded slowly. “Our business here is over.”

  He ushered the two women away. Remembering the casualties they’d caused in their search for her, Thea pulled back her muzzle and let out a low, deep, menacing growl.

  The witches jumped, throwing her startled, frightened looks over their shoulders before scurrying out of view around the Coach House.

  Thea laughed, and it came out like a hoarse snarl. She turned to find Wolf Conall and Wolf Callie wearing their versions of wolfish grins, whilst Wolf James’s expression clearly said, “Was that necessary?”

  Yes. But more than that, it had been fun.

  Seeing most of the pack had already taken off for the run, Thea lunged past her mate, his sister, and beta, and hurried up the embankment toward the road that would lead them into the forest that covered the hills.

  Everywhere she could hear the pack as Conall fell into stride beside her.

  They were all around her, their hearts beating in tandem.

  And Thea realized as they gloried in the call of the full moon that she had never, not once in her life, felt more herself than she did right then, running with Conall and his pack.

  Strike that.

  Their pack.

  Epilogue

  Paris

  Five months later

  * * *

  Belly sloshing, Vik winced and slowed his lunging strides up the stairwell toward his apartment. Perhaps he’d overindulged tonight, taking more blood from the Parisian burlesque dancers than he should have.

  They’d been twins. Redheaded, curvy twins.

  Vik was weak before redheads and twins.

  He also felt a little light-headed, which meant he’d definitely taken too much. A vamp on too much blood was like a man who had overimbibed on alcohol.

  Still, he couldn’t bring himself to regret it. The dancers had offered more than their blood and Vik needed the release. He’d been too stressed lately, but after months of no word, he was finally starting to relax.

  When he’d returned to his home in Oslo to find fifteen piles of ash instead of a dead Conall MacLennan and Thea Quinn, Vik had known he’d chosen the wrong side. He thought by choosing Eirik he was choosing to side with the most powerful being, the one who mattered. Yet he’d underestimated Thea.

  Horrified, knowing Conall well enough to realize the werewolf would want what he considered justice for the betrayal, Vik left his Oslo home with a heavy heart. He’d taken his research with him, all but the rare edition of Jerrik’s journal, which had been missing from his apartment. Guessing Thea had taken it, Vik had to just deal with the loss. If that woman could kill the oldest vampire in the world, then he certainly would not mess with her over a book. No matter how special that book was. Or how expensive it had been.

  However, Vik’s contacts had told him Thea was no longer fae. Apparently, Conall had bitten her, and she’d turned into a werewolf. They were happily mated, living in Conall’s home in Loch Torridon. It had been six months since the incident in Vik’s apartment and no word that the MacLennans were coming for him.

  If he wasn’t enjoying his time in Paris so much, Vik would head back to Oslo. Soon. But there were still plenty of burlesque dancers to meet.

  Whistling to himself, the vampire slowly made his way to the penthouse at the top of the prewar building. What it lacked in Nordic simplicity, it made up for in style and views. Plus, he’d put impressive floor-to-ceiling bo
okshelves in the high-ceilinged property. He required a ladder to reach the top shelves. It was wonderful.

  Letting himself into his temporary home, Vik swayed against the wall and cursed under his breath. “Definitely too much blood,” he muttered. “Greedy, greedy.”

  Stumbling down the hallway, he threw his keys in the bowl on the sideboard and wandered into the dark sitting room. The pressure in the air hit him as he fumbled for the light switch, but he was too drunk on blood to process its meaning.

  The bulbs from the chandelier illuminated the room—and the two alphas sitting casually on his couch.

  Fear ripped through him.

  Oh fuck!

  “Hello, Vik.”

  He whirled around, diving toward the hallway when agonizing pain ripped through his right calf and he sprawled to the hardwood floor on a cry. Whipping his head around, he hissed at the sight of the wooden stake lodged through his lower leg. A feeling akin to flames licking his leg swam up his limb, and he fumbled to pull the damn thing out.

  As he did, the hallway light came on and a shadow fell over him.

  Vik looked up in horror.

  Beautiful Thea MacLennan stood over him, Conall at her back. Her mate crossed his arms over his chest and his expression veered between boredom and menace.

  Fuck.

  Oh well. Two hundred plus years was more than most people got to live.

  Thea stepped over him, so he laid trapped beneath her. She rested her hands on her lovely hips as she cocked her head, studying him. Vik’s heart raced sickeningly fast.

  Her lips spread into a wolfish, predatory grin. “Did you miss us?”

  The survivor in him shot toward the exit using his vampire speed but as he reached it, he felt a hand curl around the back of his neck, jerking him out of vamp speed. The owner of that hand slammed his face into the door. Befuddled, Vik blinked against the sting in his nose, feeling blood trickle down to his lip. He turned to look at Thea.

  She was a werewolf now so how could she move that fast?

  As if she’d read the thought in his eyes, Thea narrowed her eyes. “I’m faster than the average wolf. There’s no point running.”