by Anita Cox
“I’ll make this quick,” he said. “Stephany Kincade has retreated to Chicago for the time being. The Scottsboro pack has assured FOSE that they have no desire to issue another challenge to the Belfast pack. However, they’re still under our radar.”
“That’s good. I don’t trust them.” Nala said.
“Get to the good stuff!” Ella smacked him.
“That was the good stuff,” he scowled at her and flipped open a file. “We have a special forces division opened up and we’d like Jake to consider leading that division as Alpha of that pack.”
Nala’s heart fell to the floor. Jake had been such a great Beta and he was family. She couldn’t ask him to stay and give up the chance at being the Alpha he was meant to be. She forced herself to smile at him. “It’s a great position, Jake.”
“Yeah, but…” he looked down at the folder, then back up to Beauregard.
“There’s a hefty salary in it for you, an Alphaship, and the satisfaction of rescuing helpless shifters. Are you up for the challenge?”
Jake looked back at the Fae King, staring at the giant man. “How could I say no?” His gaze shifted to Nala. “I’m sorry.”
After she choked back the tears, she leaned forward and touched his hand. “You have my blessing, Jake. Go, be fantastic.”
Oh God. What if there is a challenge? What next?
“To the issue of a challenge, there will be no more no quarter challenges directive issued by FOSE. This was a key sticking point with the human government. They don’t take kindly to killing, unless it’s in one of their death chambers.”
“Death chambers?” Nala gulped.
Ella rolled her eyes. “When one of them does something really horrible, they have a trial by their peers. If they’re guilty, they get sentenced to death by injecting poison into their veins. But they used to be put in gas chambers or something.”
Nala swallowed hard. Did they want to do that to her for killing Jackson Kincade?
“For now, they have agreed to let us govern ourselves. This means we have to press on hard and fast with regard to the Separatists. This is why we need Jake. He’s a strong Lycan male, set to be an Alpha. He’s quick on his feet and with his mind. His own family has been a target, so he’s vested in the outcome here. That’s why we called this meeting, to offer Jake the position, and of course, to let you know about Mrs. Kincade.” Ella leaned in and grabbed Nala’s hand. “If you need any extra security until the birth of your child, let us know.”
“Thank you.” What was that? Did she know something? Was there another threat, or did she see her as a vulnerable female?
“It’s because we just took your beta. Relax.” Wendy pushed her thoughts at Nala.
Beauregard slid the file to Jake. “Everything you need to know is in there. You’ll need to be in Charlotte by Monday.”
“North Carolina?” Nala squeaked. That far? That soon?
The Fae King stood from his chair, stretching his long legs. “That’s where the Special Forces are headquartered, and the call center, and FOSE. We’re splitting into two divisions—East Coast and West. We’ll divide the country in two and go from there. It’s a work in progress.”
Deciding not to question the King further, Nala only bobbed her head in understanding. “Good luck.”
“Come on,” Grace jumped out of her chair, “I have snacks waiting in our apartment.”
Colin burst into laughter. “Bribing my pregnant wife with food, eh?”
“And babies. Tiffany is watching the twins with Zoltar.” Wendy clapped her hands.
Grace walked over to Nala and winked. “Care for a lift?”
Her feet throbbed and ached always now that her belly was so swollen. “I can’t believe I’m saying this. Sure.”
Grace shifted into her massive wolf and crouched down. Colin helped her mount the Queen.
“This is awkward.”
Wendy let out a giggle. “I swear, if I couldn’t have shifted, Zoltar would have had to carry me around on his back for the whole last month. I was just so tired.”
No shifting until the baby was born…that rule was the hardest on her. Feeling vulnerable and grunting every time she put her shoes on stunk, but she could live with it. Her wolf, so elated that they were with child, lay dormant most days.
When they reached Grace’s door, she lay on the floor so Nala could dismount with Colin’s help. Feeling slightly humiliated, she just held onto his neck and let him drag her off Grace’s back. As soon as she was clear, the air around Grace shimmered as she took human form.
“Let’s eat!”
When Grace opened the door, Tiffany was chasing a wolf pup through the room and Zoltar was helping his son stand on wobbly colt legs.
“Good boy!” He was beaming.
Nala was led by Wendy to the back patio where a chaise lounge waited for her, so she could put her feet up. Jake brought a plate of fruit, cheese, and meat to her with a tall glass of tea.
“Thank you,” she said as she took the plate and glass from him. “So, are you excited?”
“Mostly, I’m worried about you.” Colin’s half-brother had the same nervous tick, running his hand through his hair.
“Don’t be. I have Colin and the whole pack to look out for me. Congratulations, Jake. This is a really big deal. I’m so proud of you.” She shook her head and forced a serious look on her face. “But who is going to harass my mate now?”
He laughed and took a seat on the chair next to her. “I guess I’m in shock. I didn’t see this coming.”
“How could you?”
“Right? Uh, there’s something I want to tell you, but I’m afraid it’ll upset you.” He leaned on his knees. “So if it does, just punch me or something. Okay?”
Every time I come to this school, something bad happens! Despite her thoughts, she gave him a weak smile. “I’m sure I can handle it, whatever it is.”
He took a deep breath, puffed out his cheeks, and released it. “I got a glance at that file. A list of suspects was included in my packet and… Brittany Merrill, Xander’s half-sister and Jagger Merrill’s demon spawn is one of the suspected Separatists.”
Jagger Merrill will haunt me into my grave. “Guess you’d better track her down then, huh? For me?”
“That’s just it…I think that’s why they chose me. My sister was attacked. My Alpha. The school my Queen put in motion. It’s personal for me.”
She could feel the stress rolling off of him. While this might have been a hell of a leap forward for him, it wasn’t without its cost. “That’s why you’re perfect, Jake. The outcome matters to you, not just for the sake of us integrating, but for the sake of your family. Do me a favor though?” Reaching over, she placed her hand on his forearm. “Don’t make this about revenge. Make this about justice. Your job, I mean. It’s about justice. The rest of us are okay.”
He nodded and set his jaw. “I swear.”
“Good, now, I’m going to eat this and try to get out of here before the sky falls or something.”
“Good idea. We need to get back so you can decide who will be your Beta. I’ll have to call Susan and break the news too.” He stood from his chair and headed back inside.
“Jake…”
When he turned to her, she held his gaze for a moment. “Don’t forget that you always have a home with us…as long as I draw breath, you can be a member of our pack.” Her voice cracked at the last word. He was her brother too, not just her second-in-command. She hadn’t realized how much she’d grown to love him until the thought of him leaving hit her like a tidal wave.
“Oh, I’ll be around.” He shot her a sideways grin and stepped inside.
She turned to stare at the grass, absentmindedly chewing on an apple slice. When she killed Jagger, felt the life drain from his body, she felt a sense of relief, a sense of freedom. No longer would she be a slave, or so she thought. The memory of her life in Scottsboro haunted her and her Scottsboro pack mates. None of them had courted in the time the
y’d been at Belfast. They’d looked to her and she’d been strong, yet…none of them were mated.
The damage Jagger left in his wake was foul. She didn’t know how to help them move forward and realized they couldn’t, not yet. Not so long as he was haunting them through his children, through those that would seek to minimize others.
‘Lower Lycans.’
She had a wrong to right and there was no time like the present.
“I’m coming with you,” Grace said as she stepped outside.
“God, I’d ask you to stay out of my head, but right now, I need help getting out of this chair!” Nala held her hand out. Grace used it to heave her to her feet.
“It will be you and I. Colin can’t go.”
“Good luck telling him that.” Nala laughed. “I’m surprised he’s not out here checking my pulse already.”
Grace used her royal powers to order Colin home, which severely pissed him off. “You can’t do that!”
“I can and I did. Nala and I have some business to attend to. Take Jake home. Don’t tell anyone about Jake’s new position until Nala returns home to talk to her candidate. We’ll see you there.”
“Sorry, Bro,” Roman laughed, “she has spoken.” He shrugged.
As soon as their car left, Wendy summoned Theron. When he entered the room, she smiled at him like she was handing him a gift. “Go with Grace and Nala. If anyone gets in the way, or puts up a fuss, take care of it.”
He slapped his hands together. “With pleasure.” His gaze twitched in Tiffany’s direction.
Tiffany blushed.
Nala noticed.
* * * *
When they pulled into the drive to the Scottsboro property, Grace grabbed Nala’s hand and held it. “Breathe.”
Nala took a deep breath.
“Jagger’s not here.”
“No, he isn’t.”
“It’s just dirt and trees.” Grace squeezed her hand. “You’re a badass Alpha who happens to be very pregnant with your mate’s child. You have a royal with you and a Centaur that’s got a lot of pent up aggression.”
Confused, Nala looked back at Theron. “What’s that about?”
He groaned. “Celibacy until I get the balls to date the woman of my dreams.”
She snickered. “Just ask Tiffany out. She’s dying for you to.”
“I know, but every time I open my mouth to talk to her, I vomit words that don’t make sense. Word vomit. I don’t know what the hell is wrong with me.” He shook his head and fisted his hands. It was a nice distraction from Nala who hadn’t realized they’d pulled up to the cottage…the cottage.
Theron got out of the car first, and opened the door for Nala, offering her a helpful hand out of the seat.
“Stephany left,” a young woman said.
“I’m not here for her,” Nala announced holding her head high. “I’d very much like to see Richard and Trina.”
A man in a suit exited the cottage. His black hair slicked back, hands in his pockets. “They’re not here.”
Grace’s eyes blazed purple. “Now why would you lie to your queen?” When his mouth gaped, she growled. “Go get them.”
He nodded to the young woman they spoke to first. She shifted and ran toward the back of the property. Turning back toward them, he walked slowly. “So, you’re the woman who killed my Beta?”
“Yes, he challenged me. I had no choice as he called no quarter.” She could feel the heat coming off Theron as he stepped closer to her.
“My new Beta tells me it was a fair fight, one-on-one.”
“What’s your point?” Grace crossed her arms over her chest.
His shoulders rose and fell. “That’s impressive. I don’t know many females that have the sort of fight in them.”
Richard and Trina came into view. Trina’s hair was a matted mess and looked like it hadn’t been washed in weeks. Her clothes were also dirty and torn. Richard looked slightly better, clean at least.
“I’ve come to check on you,” Nala called. As they walked closer, she noticed the dark circles under Trina’s eyes. Her fears seemed to have been founded.
“We’re fine,” Richard said, grabbing Trina’s arm.
Nala waddled forward, narrowing her eyes at him. “She doesn’t look fine. She looks horrible. Why aren’t you bathed? What’s going on?”
“Lower Lycans don’t get the same amenities…” Thomas spoke.
“Excuse me?” Grace leered at him. “What the fuck is a Lower Lycan?”
He rolled his eyes. “Lower class. Poor. They have to work for what they want.”
“That’s it!” Nala screamed. “Come home this instant. This is quite enough. You can’t tell me this is how you want to live.” Her palms grew sweaty and her heart raced. This is exactly what she fought against.
“Please,” Trina started to say, but squeaked when Richard squeezed her arm.
Grace took two large steps and was nose to nose with Richard. “Take your hand off her arm before I eat it.”
He released her and stepped back.
“Trina, do you wish to return to Belfast?” Grace asked, keeping her eyes and jaw set on Richard.
“Please, please let me go home,” she wailed.
“Get in the car,” Nala spoke softly. “We’ll take you home.”
“If you leave,” Richard warned, “I will abjure you.”
Trina collapsed on the forest floor. Her mate had cut her deep with his words.
“You what?” The electricity in Grace’s voice reverberated through the air. “To your mate, you would do that?”
“I’m not living with Gnomes. I’m not living with anything but Lycans, as it should be.”
Nala looked at the devastated woman on her knees, wounded so horribly, she didn’t look like she’d ever recover. She’d been through God knows what and her mate threatened to sever their bond. She’d lived like that…a slave to the will of another. A bond was to be something beautiful, something cherished, and he was using it as a weapon.
Grace backed away. “Have it your way.” She walked over and knelt by Trina. Her eyes shone bright but her words were soft, sweet. “Trina, I hereby release the magical bond between you and Richard. You are free.”
Trina stood from the ground and smiled through her tears.
Richard, however, crumbled to the ground as the bond severed.
“I don’t understand.” Trina looked to him, then to Grace.
“I am your queen. With that responsibility comes certain powers. He used your bond against you. I released you from the pull of that bond, freed you from your prison. He wanted the pain, not you. So he can live with it.”
Nala would have jumped in the air and screamed in triumph if not for the weight of her baby holding her feet to the ground. “Let’s go home.”
Thomas looked as if he wanted to protest, but thought better of it.
Theron groaned at the realization that there would be no fight.
They loaded into the car and left for Belfast.
Nala opened her window for fresh air, since Trina’s uncleanliness was more than her pregnant self could handle. After a few deep breaths, she turned to face Trina in the back seat. “I knew something wasn’t right there. I’d hoped you would have come back on your own. Now I can see you didn’t have a say in the matter. But am I to understand that you will accept the Gnomes in our pack? That you will protect them as you would any other pack mate?”
“Yes, yes I will. I will be happy to. They were so nice, it’s just that Richard—he”
Nala held up her hand. “You don’t have to speak his name again. We’ll figure out accommodations for you tonight, and then tomorrow, we’ll work on getting you back into your home. Okay?” She realized the woman left with nothing more than the torn clothes on her back. That would not do. She had her own cottage before she left.
Trina began to cry again.
“No!” Nala scorned. “Belfast women are strong. Lycan women are strong. No more tears. You aren’t hom
eless. True, the house you used to have has been purchased, but Wendy’s old cabin is empty. I’m sure we can make arrangements. Just…stay in the main house tonight. We’ll get you a bath, some clothes, and something to eat. Get a solid night’s sleep and tomorrow is a new day. Okay?”
She wiped her eyes, smearing dirt on her face. Theron shifted uncomfortably next to her.
“You should ask Trina for advice,” Grace said, glancing in the rearview.
“What?” he asked.
Grace’s lips tightened into a thin line as she tried to hide her smile. “I believe she’s good at dating advice. She could help you with your speech problem.”
Apparently Grace knew something Nala didn’t because Trina and Theron carried on all the way home. It had been the perfect distraction. By the time they pulled into the drive, Trina’s spirits were lifted and Theron had a new sense of purpose about him.
Tracy and Colin ran out to greet them. When Colin saw Tracy, the state she was in, his pace slowed. He looked at Nala, anger in his face quickly vanishing as understanding set in. “You, my dear mate, are smarter than I.”
“I know.” She grabbed his hand. Turning to Tracy she smiled. “Tracy, can you please have someone set Trina up inside with a room, a shower and some clothes? Then meet me in the conference room. No, wait, have Jake call a meeting.” She really wanted to put her feet up, but didn’t want to waste any time making her announcement.
Her fingers pulled red hair behind her ear as she shook off her confusion. “Yes, I will, uh, do those things. Are you okay?” She looked at Trina.
She bobbed her head. “I am now. Thank you.”
A small commotion behind them caused Nala to turn around. A group of five Gnomes gathered, spotting Trina’s return. She slowly walked over to them and fell to her knees. “Please forgive my past actions toward you.”
Ninny, a Gnome elder hobbled forward and placed her hand on Trina’s forehead. “Calm yourself child. We can begin again. I’m Ninny. Why don’t you allow my daughters, Heffa and Layla, come to your room to work these knots out of your hair? They’re so good you won’t feel a thing.” She slid her tiny palm to Trina’s cheek.
She nodded and rose to her feet, following Tracy into the pack house.