Hidden Destiny
A Redwood Pack Novel
By Carrie Ann Ryan
Hidden Destiny
A Redwood Pack Novel
By: Carrie Ann Ryan
Published by Fated Desires Publishing, LLC.
Copyright 2014 Carrie Ann Ryan
ISBN: 978-1-62322-041-9
Cover Art by Scott Carpenter
Formatted by IRONHORSE Formatting
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person or use proper retail channels to lend a copy. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return it and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author. To obtain permission to excerpt portions of the text, please contact the publisher at
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All characters in this book are fiction and figments of the author’s imagination.
Hidden Destiny
North Jamenson has always held his wolf closer to the surface then others. He's the quiet one, the one no one really knows about yet he holds the darkest secret. He’s watched his brothers find their mates and start families, and now it was his turn. He knows Lexi could be his and her son could be part of his family, but he doesn't know if he's ready to share the darkness that's entwined with his soul.
Lexi Anderson is a mother, a sister, a latent wolf, and a new member of the Redwood Pack. She’s also holding secrets so close to her heart she’s not even sure she knows the truth anymore. When North takes another step closer to wanting to cement their bond, Lexi must come to grips with her past and what it means for her future. The Centrals’ war isn’t over yet and Lexi’s life is on the line as the paths they've chosen takes a drastic turn.
Dedication
To Michelle. Thank you for finding North.
Acknowledgements
As the Redwood Pack grows, as does the family that makes each book happen. Thank you Marie Harte for helping me plot a way to make North and Lexi’s story grow within the world I love so much. Thank you Lia for holding my hand when I couldn’t finish this book and not yelling at me when I told you what needed to happen. Thank you so much Michelle for coming with me on this journey and totally helping out. You and I aren’t done yet, lady. Thank you Devin and Saya for taking North and Lexi into your hands and helping me figure out what the hell they needed!
Thank you so much readers for being with me each step of the way. I can’t believe North’s story is in your hands.
Table of Contents
Redwood Pack Characters
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Epilogue
A Note from Carrie Ann
About this Author
Also from this Author
An Unlucky Moon
Divided Loyalties
Cursed
Redwood Pack Characters
With an ever growing list of characters in each book, I know that it might seem like there are too many to remember. Well don’t worry; here is a list so you don’t forget. Not all are seen in this exact book, but here are the ones you’ve met so far. As the series progresses, the list will as well.
Happy reading!
Adam Jamenson—Enforcer of the Redwood Pack, third son of the Alpha. Mate to Bay and father to Micah. Story told in Enforcer’s Redemption and Forgiveness.
Anna Jamenson—late mate of Adam.
Bay Jamenson—new member of the Redwood Pack. Mate to Adam and mother to Micah. Story told in Enforcer’s Redemption and Forgiveness.
Beth—member of the Redwood Pack. Aunt to Emily.
Brie Jamenson—daughter of Jasper and Willow.
Cailin Jamenson—Only daughter of Edward and Pat.
Camille—deceased former member of the Redwood Pack.
Caym—demon from Hell summoned by the Centrals. Lover of Corbin.
Charlotte Jamenson—half-sister of Ellie’s. Will be raised as a daughter by Ellie and Maddox.
Conner Jamenson—son of Josh, Reed and Hannah. Twin to Kaylee.
Corbin Reyes—new Alpha of the Central Pack. Lover of Caym.
Cyrus Ferns—deceased former unit teammate of Josh’s.
Donald—member of the Redwood Pack.
Edward Jamenson—Alpha of the Redwood Pack. Mate to Pat. Father to Kade, Jasper, Adam, Reed, Maddox, North and Cailin.
Ellie Jamenson—Daughter of the former Alpha of the Central Pack. Mate to Maddox and mother to Charlotte. Story told in Shattered Emotions.
Emily—young member of the Redwood Pack. Orphan and niece of Beth.
Emeline—elder of the Redwood Pack. Lost her mate in the first war with the Centrals.
Finn Jamenson—son of Kade and Melanie. Future Heir and Alpha of the Redwood Pack.
Franklin—deceased former member of the Redwood Pack. Camille’s lover.
Gina Jamenson—newly adopted daughter of Kade and Melanie. Her birth parents, Larissa and Neil were killed during an attack.
Hannah—Healer of the Redwood Pack. Mate to Josh and Reed. Mother of Conner and Kaylee. Story told in Trinity Bound and Blurred Expectations.
Hector Reyes—deceased former Alpha of the Central Pack. Father to Corbin, Ellie, Charlotte and Ellie’s twin.
Henry—Redwood Pack member and store owner for 60 years.
Isaac—deceased member of the Central Pack.
Jason—member of the Redwood Pack and one of the Alpha’s enforcers.
Jasper—Beta of the Redwood Pack. Mate to Willow and father of Brie. Story told in A Taste for a Mate.
Jim—hot dog vendor and one of Josh’s former friends.
Joseph Brentwood—deceased former Alpha of the Talon Pack.
Josh Jamenson—former human Navy Seal. A Finder and partial demon. Mated to Reed and Hannah. Father to Conner and Kaylee. Story told in Trinity Bound and Blurred Expectations.
Kade Jamenson—Heir and future Alpha of the Redwood Pack. Mate to Melanie. Father to Finn, Gina, and Mark. Story told in An Alpha’s Path and A Night Away.
Kaylee Jamenson—daughter of Josh, Reed and Hannah. Twin to Conner.
Larissa—deceased member of the Redwood Pack. Witch and friend to Melanie. Mate to Neil and mother of Gina and Mark.
Lexi Anderson—former Talon Pack member and new Redwood Pack member. Mother to Parker and sister to Logan.
Logan Anderson—former Talon Pack member and new Redwood Pack member. Uncle to Parker and brother to Lexi.
Maddox Jamenson—Omega of the Redwood Pack. Mate to Ellie and father to Charlotte. Story told in Shattered Emotions.
Mark Jamenson—newly adopted son of Kade and Melanie. Her birth parents, Larissa and Neil were killed during an attack.
Melanie Jamenson—former human chemist and mate to Kade. Mother to Finn, Gina and Mark. Story told in An Alpha’s Path and A Night Away.
Meryl—Redwood Pack Elder.
Micah Jamenson—son of Adam and Bay.
Mrs. Carnoski—elderly customer of Josh’s when he was human.
Neil—
deceased member of the Redwood Pack. Mate to Larissa and father of Gina and Mark.
Noah—member of the Redwood Pack and former lover of Cailin’s.
North Jamenson—doctor in the Redwood Pack, son of the Alpha.
Parker Anderson—new member of the Redwood Pack and son of Lexi’s.
Patricia (Pat) Jamenson—mate of the Alpha, Alpha female, and mother to Kade, Jasper, Adam, Reed, Maddox, North, and Cailin.
Patrick—disgruntled member of The Redwood Pack.
Reed Jamenson—artist and son of the Alpha of the Redwood Pack. Mate to Josh and Hannah. Story told in Trinity Bound and Blurred Expectations.
Reggie—deceased former member of the Central Pack.
Samuel—deceased former member of the Central Pack.
Willow Jamenson—former human baker and now mate to Jasper. Mother to Brie. Story told in A Taste for a Mate.
Prologue
“You’re going to get her back for me, right?”
Caym closed his eyes at Corbin’s repeated question. The pain behind his temples increased with each word, as if even his brain couldn’t stand the man beside him anymore. With a flick of his wrist, he could kill the little wolf and be done with this game, but alas, it wasn’t time.
Yet.
Corbin had only one thing on his mind…her. It seemed as if she was the only thing the bastard wolf talked about anymore.
No, not said, demanded, as if Corbin was the one really in control and pulling all the strings.
How little the big bad wolf knew.
Caym turned over on his side, the silky black sheet sliding down his hip to expose just enough to get what he wanted from the Alpha of the Central Pack. Corbin’s eyes traced his body, yet Caym suppressed a dry quirk of his lips.
It never failed to amuse him that with just a little skin and light-to-heavy petting he could have this wolf eating out of the palm of his hand.
Well, maybe not amuse. Caym didn’t feel amusement or any other form of real emotion. He might portray anger and other heightened feelings if the situation called for it and if it would help him in his conquest, but it was never real.
As a demon, he didn’t need to feel anything. He could if he wanted to, but most days, he couldn’t care less. The blood running through his veins had enough anger and betrayal flowing through it, he didn’t need to add anything else to it.
If he wanted to feel emotions, though, at the moment, all he’d do was yawn with boredom.
First Corbin had wanted Caym to find Ellie, the wolf’s sister, and bring her back.
Now the damn so-called Alpha wanted Caym to find this long-lost woman of his. How Corbin was consistently losing women boggled Caym’s mind, but it wasn’t his place to say anything about it.
Well, at least not yet.
Caym ran a hand down Corbin’s naked chest and lifted a brow. “If you’re awake enough to worry about a woman, then I must not have done my job.” His hand slid lower, and Corbin groaned.
Sex meant nothing to Caym. He’d rather have the blood in the Alpha’s veins or the heart beating in his chest. Fucking the wolf, though, let him have more control without having to show that he was the one actually in charge.
As long as Corbin took the blame for their actions against the Redwoods, Caym could sit back and wait for his chance to take it all.
The Redwoods and, of course, Corbin wouldn’t know what hit them.
Corbin pulled away, but the heat didn’t leave his eyes. “I want her, Caym. She left me, and I’ll be damned if I let her get away with it.”
That, at least, Caym could understand. He’d have killed the woman, but Corbin was a little sentimental with his…toys.
Caym thought back to the time when he’d let Corbin’s previous toy, Ellie, leave the dungeon in the arms of her mate, Maddox. Caym had been weakened from using a large amount of power in a short period of time in order to save Corbin.
It hadn’t been time for Corbin to die; Caym still needed him for his plans. As a result, he’d let the Omega of the Redwood Pack and his mate live.
That might have been a mistake, but Caym didn’t feel Maddox would prove to be part of his plan as much as his twin, North, would.
Oh, yes, North, the doctor of the Pack was fated to be part of Caym’s plans. He just needed to make sure certain key elements were put in place first. He already had a mole on the inside. Yes, his plans would work out perfectly.
He would accept nothing less.
“She’s protected. We will find a way to get her though. We’ll just have to be creative.”
Yes, and when North found out exactly what those plans where, the next part of his destiny would be put in place.
After all, it was fated that North would kill Corbin.
That didn’t mean, though, that Caym couldn’t give the wolf a nudge.
Chapter One
Her wolf wanted to eat him up—one tasty morsel at a time.
Lexi Anderson sighed.
No, that wouldn’t be happening.
It didn’t matter that she wanted to lick the man at the party with many generous swipes of her tongue because it just wouldn’t happen.
It didn’t matter that she wanted to bury her hands in his hair while he pumped himself into her, their sweat-slicked bodies sliding against one another as they came together hard.
It still wouldn’t be happening.
She took a deep breath, the outside air filling her lungs and cooling her down—at least somewhat. As she tried to relax, she took in her surroundings, needing something far greater than her to function. The trees stood around them, tall, ancient, almost comforting. The sun warmed her skin in the cooling air, though just from looking at the man across from her, she was heated plenty already.
She took another breath, holding it in for as long as she could. The scent of forest and the coming rain would never be enough for her.
Lexi would never know the feeling of the land beneath her four paws, the brush of wind in her fur, nor the release of home and center when the moon’s pull finally took her wolf.
No, she would never have any of that, yet she should have been used to it by now.
She’d been a latent wolf—a wolf trapped within her body, unable to shift, but still part of her in a sense—for all fifty years of her life, and wishing for something different was only making things harder for her. Since latent wolves couldn’t shift into their wolf forms, they were forever bound to their human forms and cut off from the wolf part of their souls. They couldn’t even hear their other half’s thoughts. Oh, they could feel something, or at least feel the instincts and some of the urges that came with being a wolf, but they didn’t feel the same connection that others did.
It had been a miracle in itself that she’d survived into adulthood, as most latent wolves died from the added stress to their bodies because of their inability to shift.
She was one of the lucky ones.
If one could call it that.
There were more important things in her world than the fact she would never be able to shift into a wolf.
Namely, the little boy playing in the front yard of the Alpha’s home.
Parker, her eight-year-old son and love of her life, currently played in a pile of wolf babies. Well, only one baby was currently in wolf form, as the others were too young to change yet, but her Parker seemed to be in heaven.
Finn, the son of the Heir to the Redwood Pack, jumped on Parker’s stomach. Luckily the three-year-old had learned enough control in wolf form that he didn’t have his claws out. Wolf children didn’t shift until they were at least two or three years old when they would have at least a semblance of control over their little bodies.
Even though Lexi had grown up in the Talon Pack and knew that children play-fought in both forms, she still winced. It had been awhile since she’d been around other wolves for long periods of time, and she didn’t like the idea of her baby being hurt by Finn’s little claws.
It was, after all, only the third time the o
ther little boy had shifted into this form. He had remarkable control though, considering his age. Lexi wasn’t sure if that had to do with the royal blood running through his veins, the fact that he would one day be the Heir and then eventually the Alpha, or that he was wise for his age. He’d already been through so much, almost being killed by the hands of their worst enemy. He’d been changed dramatically, even at a young age.
All of that together seemed to have made one strong little wolf.
The little fluff ball mock growled at Parker then rolled onto his back, leaving all four paws in the air. His cousins, Micah and Brie, who were both under two, gave up trying to tickle Parker and went to give Finn a belly rub.
Something oddly hollow echoed in Lexi’s chest at the sight.
These babies were part of a family. A family that, while they had opened their home to her, Parker, and her brother, Logan, wasn’t hers.
They would never be hers.
Not really.
She thought she had a family before with the Talons, and then that had been shattered. The Alpha had exiled her, cutting her off from the Pack because of something out of her control. Logan came with her because he was her brother. God, she hated that she’d caused him to be a lone wolf, shunned because of what had happened to her.
They spent over eight years on the run until finally coming into contact with the Redwoods. For some reason, they had opened their wards and let them into their Pack—blood bond and all.
She knew not everyone within the Pack was happy about it, but the Jamensons, the ruling family, wanted them.
Lexi still wasn’t sure how she felt about that.
A man, Patrick, yes, that was his name, walked past her and glared. Not so odd considering most wolves who didn’t really know her seemed to do that, but she didn’t know this man or what his problem was.
She raised a brow, and he looked down on her as though she were five-day-old dog poo.
Hidden Destiny (Redwood Pack) Page 1