Wolf's Kingdom_COBRA Coalition

by Amber Ella Monroe

  Nick silently cheered for Devin, and by the determined stance of the others behind him, he knew they were proud to stand by their Alpha as well.

  “If you were so concerned with the pack and the well-being of our people, you would not have left five years ago.”

  “How did I know you would bring that up against me?” Devin asked. “I was rejected by my own father. It was a mistake he admitted to.”

  “He saw flaws in you back then. The fact that he changed his mind on his deathbed sickens me,” Darius scoffed.

  “The fact that you would hold your own people captive against their will, attempt to rape a human, and plunder our village killing an innocent woman at a school and an elderly man in the market place sickens me. You even captured a child!” Devin spat. “Have you no shame?”

  Darius smirked. “That’s the price to be paid during a time of war.”

  “It all ends here.”

  Darius stepped forward and for a moment the moon beamed directly on him. The scar he’d earn from the last fight with Devin remained on his face. Something to remind him what one earned for being greedy. “Your untimely death will be such a pity.” He clucked his tongue. “First father. A son. Now a bastard.” He laughed. A deep throaty laugh.

  “My brother’s death was no accident. You killed him.”

  “He went down like a bitch.”

  A series of growls broke out from Devin’s side.

  Nick was so enraged that he could hardly contain himself. His nostrils flared and he breathed hard, disturbing the dust on the ground before him.

  Devin and Darius began circling each other. The anger and heat between the two of them fueled their followers.

  Darius was the first to turn wolf. He did it slowly and with the grace that only descendants of the first line of Caedmon could pull off. It was a reminder that no matter how insane Darius had become, he was still powerful…and capable of anything.

  All hell broke loose as the two sides collided in battle.

  Nick’s very first assailant lunged for him, almost catching him off guard. They toppled across the rocky forest floor in frenzy, trying to gain the upper hand over the other.

  He pounced on top of the wolf and went for the throat without hesitation. Blood and tissue filled his mouth. He spat on the ground and with pristine adrenaline shooting through his veins, he took on another opponent.

  Nick faltered many times, making it too easy for his attackers to injure him. There had never been a battle like this. One in which his strength and endurance were tested.

  He felt ready to collapse as a wolf jumped on his back and bit into a shoulder blade. He bucked hard, shaking the wolf off with all his might. Impaling the animal, he captured the neck with his muzzle. He shook his head from side to side violently until the life was literally ripped from the wolf who jumped him.

  Just before another wolf rushed him, he caught a quick glimpse of the mutiny around him.

  Wolves of the same pack fighting like rival enemies. How did it come down to this?

  Everything fell silent when a sharp yelp cut through the air.

  A chill ran though his bones when he recognized the voice.

  Nick glanced toward the other end of the field and sure enough, he saw Devin’s wolf huddled next to a barn with an injury to his side.

  Blood seeped through his fur onto the ground.

  Darius, now in human form, stood over Devin with an ax held high in the air.

  Nick took off running in their direction, ready to die for his leader. His paws barely touched the earth as he sprinted across the field. The images before him faded in and out as he ran. His chest burned as he swallowed dry air.

  He was too late.

  Devin slowly lifted himself on all fours.

  Darius leveled the ax with both hands gripping the handle.

  Devin’s lithe wolf body shot up through the air like a rocket and he pounced on Darius’s chest.

  Nick felt and heard the thud of the impact. His paws came to a skidding halt on the rough terrain.

  Devin ripped out Darius’s stomach, and blood and guts splattered against the ground and barn.

  Nick froze in his tracks. His heart pounded like a drum. His mind registered the fatal outcome in front of him.

  Darius had turned human to gain the upper hand, but that move had cost him his life.

  As Darius bled to death, Devin hovered over him and lifted his head with chunks of human flesh between his fangs.

  He howled at the moon.

  Nick and those that were left of Devin’s Pack did the same.

  Darius managed to crawl from under Devin on his hands and knees into the barn, leaving loose entrails and bowels behind him in the dirt.

  Darius’s followers began to retreat, leaving carnage and destruction all over the field.

  Devin shifted into human form and other’s followed suit.

  “Go retrieve my sister,” Devin commanded one of the wolves, who then nodded and took off toward the main building.

  At that moment, a solid white figure emerged from the field where the other’s had retreated. It pushed through the last of Darius’s cowards as they escaped.

  A white wolf. Delicate and graceful. Running as fast as the wind.

  It was Silvia.

  The leaves and bramble stirred up violently behind her as she ran toward her mate. There were two wolves in her path. She ran them over and ripped out their throats, killing them instantly.

  The rest of them, including he and Devin, moved out of her way.

  She shifted into human form and rushed toward Darius…but he was dead.

  A vein-chilling scream tore from her throat. All the windows above the barn shattered. When her breath gave out, she pulled Darius’s face against her chest and rocked him.

  “Come back to me,” she whispered to him.

  Nick tore his gaze from the sight as his heart quaked in his chest.

  “Look what you have done!” She shouted.

  Nick had no choice but to look upon her once again. Her eyes had clouded over with silver, the aura of her magic.

  “He was toxic, Silvia. You know this,” Devin said. “You didn’t have to live this way…in mayhem. The bond can be reversed…broken. Even now. I know someone who can help.”

  “How dare you imply that I would break something I cherish?”

  Devin hung his head.

  “Silvia.” Nick stepped forward this time. “Let us help. I know you were rejected by your father. I know it led you to use your craft to do Darius’s evil biddings.”

  “Shut up!” She shook her head. “You’ve taken everything away from me.”

  “No, Silvia. Because of Darius’s greed, we have all paid the price. Look at all the bloodshed around us.” Devin waved his arm over the damage and mutilated wolf bodies on the ground. “It didn’t have to happen this way. I tried many times to reason with Darius. His refusal to control his self-righteousness cost him his life.”

  Silvia frowned. “I don’t care what he has done. I live by my mate.” She snatched up a broken piece of window glass and viciously slit both wrists across the vein. “I die by my mate.”

  Devin took a step forward. “Silvia—”

  An unseen force shoved Devin backward. He caught his balance before tripping over a log.

  Bright red blood flowed down Silvia’s palms to her fingertips and onto the ground, blending with the blood of her deceased mate. A once delicate and pretty face was marred in wild hatred. “Leave us!”

  A sharp piece of wood rose up off the earth as though by magic, sailed through the air, and struck one of the men observing the spectacle through the heart. He expired on impact and the brute force knocked his lifeless body several feet back.

  Silvia had hailed from a long line of witches. With the amount of rage now pent up in her heart, she could have taken every one of them out if she wanted to.

  They began to fall back—quickly.

  Silvia’s eyes were glassed over. There was n
o containing her magic now. She was beyond enraged.

  The barn started creaking. Dust fell from the ceiling. Floorboards and beams that once held the place up began to crack. The barn suddenly slumped to one side. Wind picked up around them. Sand swooshed up, slapping them against the faces, and stinging their eyes.

  They held a victory…

  None of them had the heart to celebrate.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  Selene sat up from her position on the sill of the large bay windows when a shadow moved below. A light tingle crept up her spine, and she pressed her palm to the cold glass to peer outside. She’d grown tired of waiting for him, and she could hardly keep her eyelids open.

  To pass time earlier in the night after the men had left, she and Tamara had sat in the library together talking about absolutely nothing. Skimming the words in those old history books, but not really reading them. It had been evident that both had been on pins and needles worrying about their mates.

  Now as she waited here, she wondered if it was in vain. Would Nick even return? She’d told him to his face that she planned to leave. What hope did that give him out there on the battlefield?

  The shadow moved again, and this time she came to a kneeling position. Her breath tripped in her throat when she caught sight of a majestic wolf sitting on its hind legs right under the window.

  Nick. Selene would have known her mate even with her eyes closed. A feeling of completeness washed over her whenever he was near.

  His hazel eyes seemed to sparkle in the dark as he observed her.

  ‘Don’t just stand down there, Nick. Come up here,’ she surprised herself by speaking telepathically to him.

  ‘I was hoping you’d say that,’ was his reply.

  He shifted then, unfolding to his full height. Completely naked, he stood under the full moon.

  At the edge of dawn, its colors burst with a mix of burnt red and orange. It would be morning soon. A fresh start. A peaceful one, maybe…

  When her gaze moved back to the spot on the grass, Nick was gone.

  She scented him before he turned the doorknob.

  Before he could make it inside the room, she slipped off the windowsill and rushed into his arms. She didn’t care about the dirt and grime marring his body or the fact that he was naked. He was back. Safe.

  Nick kissed her deeply, wrapping his arms about her waist. He pulled away too soon. “You okay?”

  “Yes. I’m glad you’re safe. Elisa? The child. Is she safe?”

  “Absolutely. She’s in the care of her aunt now.”

  She fell back into his embrace. “Just hold me.”

  “I was in the lake, but I’m still dirty.”

  “I don’t care.” She smoothed the side of her face with his palm. “I was being silly earlier.”

  “I was wrong. I should have told you.”

  “I wanted to know, but I understand now that it brought back painful memories for you.”

  “It had,” he said. “That’s all behind me now.”

  ‘I love you.’

  ‘I love you back.’

  “Come here,” she whispered.

  Selene walked him into the bathroom that was adjoined to their bedroom. After turning the faucet on and placing the stopper over the drain, she led him into the tub. He sighed and his body relaxed as though a great weight lifted off his shoulders.

  “Selene, I killed many wolves tonight.” He squeezed his eyes shut. “It was terrible.”

  “We can’t change the past, Nick.” Taking a sponge, she drizzled some of the warm water across the welts on his back. “We can only live for the future. Our future.”

  “I’m ready to see what’s in store for us.” He turned to kiss the back of her hand, as she kneaded the sponge over his shoulder.

  “So am I.”

  “I’ve dreamed many times about a woman who could soothe my scars with her touch,” he whispered.

  She applied her bare hands to his back on the injury near the shoulder blades. Pressing her lips to his neck, she whispered, “You’re in good hands. Trust again, Nick. I will never fail you.”

  “You are my dream come true.”

  WOLF’S TOUCH (BOOK 3)

  Wolf shifter Jayson Truman is captivated by his boss’s daughter. He finds himself fantasizing about the many ways he’d like to have his way with Arianna Klein. Despite her dad’s strong connections to the Caedmon community, he and Jayson have never seen eye to eye on any matter. Lusting after his daughter only adds fuel to the flames. Their long-standing business relationship begins to unravel. Jayson is warned to stay away from Arianna…

  * * *

  Cutting family ties seems like Arianna’s only recourse to regaining control of her life. Steering clear of her father is easier said than done especially when she holds the key to his business’s success--or failure. And as if her life weren't dictated enough by men with oversized egos, add Jayson to the equation and his many attempts to lay claim to her. If he thinks she’s going to swoon at his feet like a sex-crazed maniac, he’s got another thing coming. But Jayson may very well be the pawn she needs to get her out of the mess that her father has built. Jayson will put his life on the line for Arianna, but will he gain her love and acceptance in return?

  CHAPTER ONE

  “You did what?”

  Arianna Klein uncrossed her arms and dropped them to her side. The tips of her fingernails dug deep into her palms as she tried to contain her frustration.

  Anthony Klein, Sr. pulled out a ledger from a file cabinet and opened it on the desk in front of him. “You should be ready at five o’ clock on the dot tomorrow evening. We’ll have an escort take us to the residence.”

  His sudden lack of eye contact told Arianna that he’d silently dismissed her.

  She’d never felt so powerless in her life. What gave him the right to make promises for her? To make plans without her permission that included her?

  “Father!” She panted, ready to pitch a fit of rage. “I’ve no intentions of being in the presence of that asshole.”

  He glanced up at her with a stern look on his face. “This is not up for discussion.”

  She rushed up to his desk and smashed her palms against it, nearly tipping over a vase of calla lilies. “What do you mean, not up for discussion?”

  He scribbled on the pad and didn’t utter a word.

  She refused to be ignored. “Everyone knows Ivan Zeldano is a crook and a fraud. How could you do business with someone like that?”

  That statement caused him to look up and his gaze of indifference nearly burned right through her. “You know I want what’s best for you, what’s best for the family business, and what’s best for our future.”

  “By our future, do you really mean your future? It’s no mystery that all you care about is the bottom line on your checkbook.” She threw her hands up in irritation. “I’m sick of it all! I could care less about this family business anymore.”

  “How could you say that?” Her father stood. “This business is what has been keeping this family together. Don’t forget how much it cost to send you off to that expensive school. Room, board, books…” He started ticking off the items on his fingers. “…food, transportation, and other incidentals.”

  “How many times will you remind me?” she asked between clenched teeth. “I’ll pay you back every red cent, but you can’t expect me to make a living for myself when you beg me to return home every time I get a job.”

  “I don’t beg.”

  “Yes, you do.” She crossed her arms. “You play sick. Scream bloody murder. Cry wolf. Make me feel sorry for you. Anything to get me to return here so you can dictate my life. It must stop now. You will not hold this debt against me. I’ll pay you back in full just to stop you from trying to manipulate my every move.”

  “You will start paying me back tomorrow night by being ready and on time. This meeting is about business, and you will not mess this up.” He plopped back down in his chair. “I mean it.”

/>   Arianna’s lips trembled. “At least I know what you cherish the most over your own daughter.”

  “No.” He shook his head. “Because I cherish you, I will do what’s best for you. You’re very important. To me…and to this cause.”

  She pointed a finger at her chest. “I will decide what’s best for me.”

  Her father lifted an eyebrow in challenge. “Now is not the time, Arianna. You know what’s at stake.”

  Her blood was beyond the boiling point. She wanted to tell her father to shove it, but she wouldn’t stoop to that level.

  Arianna had tried with all her heart to have a normal life like a normal person. She even believed that obtaining a college degree from Northwestern, graduating at the top of her class, and being recruited by one of the top investment firms in the world would help her father see her worth as an individual and as a career woman. Living up to her father’s expectations had been important to her.

  Until now…

  “I have a proposal to review,” her father said, jolting her from her thoughts. “Would you mind telling the maid to bring me some coffee?”

  Arianna frowned. “I wish mother was still living. She would never—ever—let you do this!”

  The pained expression that washed over his face told Arianna that she’d hit a nerve, but she didn’t care. What he suggested was disgraceful and an insult to her intelligence.

  Arianna took one last look at her stubborn father, stormed out of his office, and slammed the door behind her.

  It was time she lived her own life.

  Jayson Truman rode his Kawasaki into the wrought iron gates of the Caedmon Mansion and parked beside a row of a dozen other bikes. He tore off his helmet, pushed his unruly hair back off his face, and took in the scenery before him.

  The heavy metal music blasted from every open window of the decades old mansion, and the bass seemed to rock the foundation under it. Lively bodies were everywhere, either standing about in groups or dancing around to the vibrant beat. Most of them were half-clad, showing too much skin and rejoicing as the winter season ended and spring began. The thick and boisterous crowd overflowing outside told him that there was a full house tonight…and rightfully so.