The Price They Paid: Imprinted Mates Series

by Jade Royal

  “Justice, he’s baiting you. Please let it go. He’s not worth it.” Maddox’s voice was so low that I barely heard it.

  I moved my eyes only to look at Maddox. I could see the cords in his neck working, and knowing that the Alpha was affecting him only amped up my defenses against Augusto. I turned back to Augusto, and he was busy writing something on the clipboard in his hands.

  “I’ll look over the concerns that you all have and cover them with the Alphas. Make sure to enjoy the feast here today. I know that Justice contributed quite a few goodies to the table for her new pack.” He began naming off foods, but I still watched Augusto.

  Augusto was up to something. I could feel it. I found Alice as soon as everyone started moving about.

  “Hey, Justice!” She smiled as I approached her.

  “Can I speak to you for a second?”

  Alice nodded, and we moved to a quiet corner. “How can I be of service?”

  I could feel her nervous energy. “Why do I get the feeling that I’ve seen Augusto before?”

  “What makes you say that?” Alice’s fidgeting didn’t go unnoted.

  “His eyes.”

  “I don’t know …”

  I cut her off. “Alice, spill it.”

  “Shit!” She looked at her feet gathering strength. “I couldn’t get you to shift back.”

  “What?”

  “When you were in wolf form, nothing that we did made you shift back. I had Alec, Seuss’ brother, transport the ex-Alpha to you to make you shift. He came to you in wolf form.”

  I thought back to that night. I didn’t remember anything else happening after I climbed into bed except the dream that I’d had. I’d been asleep when a wolf came in. His scent was strong and bold like Seuss’ but it wasn’t as appealing to me. It didn’t smell bad, it just wasn’t my Alpha. He’d climbed onto the bed and hovered above me. I was underneath a sheet, cozy and warm.

  When my eyes met his, I’d slowly and reluctantly shifted back into human form. I’d fought him so hard though, that when I was fully shifted, I was exhausted. I remembered him pulling my hair as he padded off but that was it. I’d passed out in defeat afterward. I didn’t remember the man. I’d also thought that it was all a weird dream. Hell, I’d thought everything about that day was a dream. Thinking back, I wondered what the purpose of him pulling at my hair was, or had he? The details were fuzzy, but I knew one thing for sure; that was where I’d encountered his intense stare.

  “You let the ex-Alpha into my room?!” My voice was louder than I intended catching the attention of some of the pack members. I growled.

  “Seuss told me that if something happened to him that I could use whatever measures I needed to keep us on target. Justice, you’re strong. When Maddox tried to get you to shift, you didn’t even blink an eye. Augusto is an Alpha male. He is the only male that I trusted to get that close to you in your vulnerable state. He would never have hurt you.”

  I looked over to where Augusto stood talking to the elders. Feeling my eyes watching him, he turned toward me and smiled. He then turned and headed my way with the elders in tow.

  “Nice to finally meet you, Justice.” Augusto leaned forward to hug me, but I stiffened in his arms.

  “Augusto.” I nodded.

  “I have to ask your secret. What’d you put in those wings?” he asked.

  “Spice,” I responded sarcastically.

  He chuckled and held up his hands in mock surrender. “You’ll have to cook for me sometime.”

  I nodded. “Sure thing.”

  “How’s Seuss holding up?”

  “He’s doing just fine. Almost brand new.”

  “That’s good. He’s been down a long time. We wouldn’t want anybody trying to challenge the throne. Things seem kind of crazy and out of control leaving that possibility on the table.” His threat didn’t go unnoticed.

  “Miss Justice?”

  I turned to see a boy that had to be at least six feet three. I turned back to see Augusto departing through the crowd. I needed to talk to Maddox.

  “Well, aren’t you tall,” I half joked. I didn’t want to seem standoffish to the members with everything going on. I still searched for Maddox while half paying attention.

  He smiled nervously. “I just wanted to let you know that I really liked the wings.”

  “Thank you! Help yourself to as many as you’d like,” I said distractedly.

  “There aren’t any left unless you have more somewhere.” The look on his face was priceless. The puppy dog expression wasn’t lost on me.

  “Tell you what, we can do a trade of sorts. What skills do you have? Can you fix anything?” I inquired. There was no way that the boy didn’t have any strength in those arms of his.

  “Sometimes I help my dad around the house. Mostly, I help him outside. Chopping wood, cutting grass, repairing the wire on the fences.”

  Interest piqued, I asked. “How old are you?”

  “Seventeen. I’ll be eighteen in the spring.”

  “I’ll tell you what. If you agree to help Mr. Maddox clear out the trees near the housing complex, I’ll make you some more wings.”

  “Really?!”

  “Yup. What’s your name?”

  “I’m Billy.”

  “Billy, do you have any friends that could help out anywhere else?”

  I had a few more conversations like that throughout the night. Jeanie was a homemaker that sent her last child off to school leaving her nothing to do during the day. Starting tomorrow she was going to be cleaning the Alpha House. Her son needed more responsibility and would tend to the yard of the Alpha House.

  Turns out that Ree was actually nineteen years old, though her friends were younger than her. She asked if she could come back for me to teach her more. I offered her a position to work in the house if she promised to take the culinary classes that the restaurant owner was offering. Out of all the girls, she’d been the easiest to teach. Between the two of us teaching her, she should come around in no time.

  I’d made other connections sending some more of the boys to help the elderly in the pack. The girls that were supposed to be working with me in the house were being sent out to help in the community. They could handle picking up groceries for senior wolves.

  By the end of the night, I’d eliminated quite a few of the community issues and repair list. Maddox walked toward me shaking his head in amazement. Where had he been?

  “Those ideas were brilliant. I’d never have thought of them. I don’t know how Seuss will respond, but it should cut down on a lot of labor intense items so that I can focus on the more important pack business.”

  “I’ll need keys to close off the master suite. I don’t want anybody in there for now while Seuss is vulnerable.”

  “Already a step ahead of you.” Maddox handed me a set of keys, and I slipped them into my pocket. “I went upstairs to close off the master suite and to check on Seuss. He’ll probably need his dose of you soon.”

  “I’m beat!” I yawned to drill home my point.

  “Then you should go nap. The girls are going to clean up the mess from the meeting.”

  I didn’t object to that at all. “I’ll check on Seuss, too.”

  I checked on Seuss to find his body temperature still warmer than it had been lately, but cooler than when I left him. I knew that if I laid with him I’d probably not get up. I kissed the side of his face and laid my head on his shoulder briefly.

  “The meeting was so good today. I think you’d have been very proud of Maddox. He handled things very well.”

  It was too easy to settle into him. It’s why I’d remained standing. I sighed and headed back into my room and climbed into bed fully clothed. Today was very productive, but the stress of Augusto’s words hung heavily on my shoulders. I couldn’t let somebody challenge the throne. Seuss had worked too hard to maintain it. I planned to do my part and make sure that he was well enough to defend it. First things first though. I needed to sleep so that
I could withstand his need to feed from me. I closed my eyes and let everything else fade to black.

  Justice

  It was different being part of something. The pack was like a huge extended family that was always looking out for one another. Now that things were coming together, the Alpha House was beginning to come alive. Maddox told me that the pack was only as strong as the Alpha, and that was starting to make sense now. The kids were coming over to let us know when they completed projects. They checked in to see if we needed things done at the Alpha House. There was so much energy, so much buzzing, and we hoped that Seuss would be happy with how things were turning out.

  I could see the difference in Maddox every day as he became less worried about the community needs in the pack, and he became more concerned about the business aspects of the pack. He tended to those administrative things making him more focused and grounded.

  I watched as he blossomed as the Beta. People came to me for things pertaining to the community, and people went to him for things pertaining to pack business. Alice spent more time away from the house because the buzz of the energy was overwhelming to her. As the healer, she felt more because she was empathetic. She came over during the early afternoon and the evening when the traffic was lighter.

  I spent the rest of my time taking care of Seuss and talking to him. He would mumble things about the pack and send flits of images through the bond. It was more like he was dreaming which was different than how he normally communicated with me. When he sent things through the bond it was more conversational. This was more like I was seeing his dreams or into his thoughts. It was new and refreshing, yet confusing. He was becoming less guarded, and it drew me to his bedside often.

  One evening, I sat next to him stroking his arm as he told me a story. His voice through our bond was stronger, and his body was nicely warmed. Seuss was steadily getting better, and I loved it.

  “My father took me to hunt for the very first time when I was about nine years old. He explained the difference between a hunter and the hunted. The best hunters never let their prey know that they are being hunted until it’s too late. The way to win isn't necessarily to chase them down and make them submit. It was to make them feel so safe in an environment that their defenses fell away to the point where they didn’t realize they were doomed. Trapped even. When they did, there was nothing they could do about it. And the hunter, all they had to do was collect their bounty. That is the true way to hunt.”

  I’d never doubted Seuss, but the way that he’d spoken told me that it wasn’t just a story. It was his creed. Seuss was an intense man, and when he went after something he did it at all costs. He was a lethal, unexpected predator. It made me feel safe and cherished because he’d gone out of his way to make sure that even in his weakest moments, he’d keep me safe. He’d left me Alice and Maddox, the best two defenders in his absence, and I was grateful.

  There was a flood of activity in the room next to me. I knew without going over that Seuss was awake. Voices were excited, and questions were flying. My doors were closed, and I laid there waiting for someone to come and get me, but no one ever did. I could feel the difference in the bond already.

  Before, Seuss was open, and there wasn’t any other emotion coming through but need. I could feel so much coming from him right now that it was staggering. He was overwhelmed by the attention to him, but I knew it was necessary. I could hear Maddox’s voice, so I knew he was safe. I wanted to comfort him and push everyone out to give him time to adjust but those feelings also caused discomfort. He was not mine to fuss over or to claim. My responsibilities to him would officially be over the moment that he was strong enough to shift. Alice had explained to me that shifting would allow his body to heal the remaining damage.

  The amount of energy radiating from his side of our bond had to be enough to create that shift. The amount of light coming from his side of the bond was blinding, but it radiated power. Seuss was almost better.

  “Why can’t I feel him?”

  I froze. The thought wasn’t mine but came through the bond from Seuss. The nervous energy coming from him was mountainous, stirring my own anxiety. I gripped the sheets as the tears stung the back of my eyes. Who was he searching for? Who couldn’t he feel? I wanted to ask him, but I didn’t know how. Behind his rapid thoughts I sensed the fear. Seuss’ thoughts were taking over mine making me feel one hundred ways of crazy. I jumped up and ran out the door leading to the stairwell.

  Once I was outside, I kept going until my lungs burned from the exertion, and then I ran some more pushing forward. I reached deep pulling for an inner level of strength to continue. My hair blew in the wind providing the best kind of freedom. The leaves crunched underneath my bare feet, and the more that I ran the better I felt. I hit the forest and kept moving with ease and agility. I felt movement on both sides of me, and at first, I was alarmed, but something felt … right. Non-threatening. I could feel them. All eight of them closing in on me and yet I continued to run. I didn’t know where I was headed but I continued to run.

  I saw the first wolf and was blinded by the pure white coat. Familiar eyes glanced my way as they moved alongside of me. She roared, challenging me playfully. I knew that she could pass me easily, but she kept her pace light and easy while the others closed in. I could feel their movement within me almost as naturally as I could feel Seuss today.

  I growled back and was surprised at the intensity. She ran ahead, and I continued behind her. There was a clearing, and she sat poised to attack. Against my better judgement, instinct took over. I ran right for her. I stopped at her muzzle and roared so loudly that it echoed throughout the forest. The silence around us was deafening and all movement ceased.

  Slowly, she lowered her head all the way to the ground while her tail moved from side to side happily. Then she shifted back to her human self. I was surprised to see that the beautiful white wolf was Ms. Cordell. The other wolves closed in around us following her lead. Anna, Beth, Tina, Ree, Ms. Kento, Lisa, and a woman I hadn’t met before, all appeared one by one. They were unashamed of their beautiful bodies on display, and they had no reason to be. I couldn’t explain the amount of power I felt in this moment with the right words. It was humbling.

  My chest rose and fell hard from the exertion of the run, but I was hyper aware of my surroundings. I could smell the change in the season upon the air. It smelled like fall. The grass smelled greener, the wind felt moist, and the clouds hid the brightness of the sunrays. I stood still taking in the world with heighten senses while these women paid homage.

  Understanding that they were choosing me as the Alpha woman, I wanted to choose them back. I stood straighter and roared again louder than before. Talk about exhilarating. I sat down allowing the others to relax and follow suit.

  “God, that felt amazing!” I admitted.

  Ms. Cordell smiled at me before she spoke. “You could feel us approaching, couldn’t you?”

  “Yes.”

  “You weren’t afraid that there were eight of us?” She tilted her head to the side in wonder.

  “No. It only energized my efforts. I knew you guys were pack as you approached. It feels the same way that it does when I feel Seuss.” It was the best way that I could explain it.

  “Through your bond?” Ms. Cordell was trying to read the truth without overstretching.

  “No. I can feel his emotions and his energy.”

  Ms. Cordell smiled. “You’re a special Alpha mate.”

  “Special?”

  “You’re not fully mated to Seuss yet because of the accident, right?”

  “Yes.” I didn’t inform her that I wouldn’t be completing that process either.

  “Once you’re bonded, abilities that you have will become stronger because you’ll be feeding off his energy as well.” Ms. Cordell appeared excited, but the thought of having any “abilities” as she called it, was off putting. I thought it was because of him that it was even possible.

  “Understood.”
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  “Now would be the time to tell you the real reason why we are here,” Ree said.

  “What exactly is that?” I turned toward her.

  “To fulfill our destiny. We’ve been waiting for you.”

  “For me?” I looked at each of them in wonder.

  “We’re your guardians of nine. Your father left us to ensure your safety.”

  “My father?”

  “King Yosef was the ruler of the north. He was a fine ruler before he passed on. He was challenged by an outsider for his throne. Dark magic was used during the spar, and he was murdered in cold blood.”

  “Was he mated?” I wondered.

  “Yes, to an element walker.”

  I started to speak but didn’t know where to start.

  “An element walker is someone who can not only control one of the five elements, they can also summon it. Your mother’s element was fire,” Ms. Cordell explained.

  “What—what happened to her?”

  “After King Yosef was killed, she fled with you here. If she hadn’t, she would have been forced to mate with the new king. It took us forever to track her. When we finally did, she was going mad from the fact that she’d lost her mate. Their connection was deep, and she was drinking heavily to drown her sorrows.” Ree wiped a tear away, and I knew where this story was going immediately.

  “I tried to give her reasons to live. I gave her all the reasons why she needed to live for you. But the way her mate was taken from her, it was too hard. She kept telling me that she was hearing voices and that they haunted her. There was no doubt that it was from the dark magic. She was strong and fearless, very unlike her state before she died,” Ms. Cordell explained.

  “On the night that she died, I could feel the doom. It was like a silent echo as I approached her room.” Ree couldn’t control the tears as they licked at her face. “As I entered, I saw her pour something into her glass, but I’d missed the vial as she’d put it out of sight. You were in your crib crying, but she didn’t seem to notice. She drank the liquid in her glass in one long continuous drink. Tears streamed down her face, and when she was done she dropped the glass to the ground. She pointed to the crib as a sob broke free and then she collapsed. I tried to revive her, but nothing worked. I tried to find that damn vial but never did.”