Queen of Wolves Read online

  In the bathroom he splashed some water on his face and combed his hair. His eyes were still sleepy looking. He sighed and headed down the large hallway to the elevators. Once on the infirmary floor, painted a calming green color, he shoved open the double doors.

  “Alpha Sheridan.” The doctor was the first to greet him.

  “I’ve been summoned?” He raised an eyebrow at her.

  “She seems desperate to speak to you tonight. She implied that she could not wait until morning to speak with you. I thought it best to error on the side of caution. If you wish for me to tell her to wait…”

  “No.” He interrupted. “I’m already awake and down here. Let’s get on with it.” He followed her through the hall to where the woman was laying. Chains circled her wrists, ankles, waist and neck. She was flat on her back, staring up at the ceiling.

  “I am Alpha Cole Sheridan, of the Black Moon Pack.” He said formally. “You wish to speak with me?” One of the Omegas pulled up chair and he sat, rather ungracefully.

  “I…um…yes.” She whispered. “Could you remove the shackles? I’d like to be able to look at you when we speak.”

  He studied her, carefully. “I swore no harm would come to you on my lands. I meant that, however, you passed out before I had a chance to explain. If you harm any of my people, in any way, you forfeit your sanctuary status, and you will be killed.”

  “I have no wish to harm anyone here.” She said. “I need your help.”

  “Release her, please, Doctor.” He nodded. The doctor took a key from around her neck and began unlocking the heavy steel chains. Another omega took them away.

  Zara sat up slowly and leaned back against the pillows, rubbing her wrists. “Can I get some water?” She asked.

  “Sure.” He reached over and poured some into a little cup, from a bottle on the stand beside her bed. He handed it to her, and she drank it all in one gulp. He poured her more and waited until she finished.

  “Zara, why did you come to my lands? What is it that you want me to help you with?” He asked, taking the cup from her.

  “The cats are fighting amongst themselves. I’m…caught in the middle. I am being hunted by one of the cruelest leaders of the panthers, among others.”

  “Why?” He asked simply, already suspecting the answer.

  “Because of my bloodline. They all think that the one, who owns me, will be more powerful than anyone else and withstand the coming war.”

  “And what is so special about you?” He asked.

  “Surely you’ve heard.” She snorted.

  “No” He said, “I’d prefer you tell me.”

  “Give me your hand, I’ll show you.” She said simply.

  He just stared at her. She held out her hand to him, waiting.

  “I won’t hurt you.” She said. “I need to show you, so you understand.”

  “What are you going to do?”

  “I can’t explain it. You need to see for yourself.” She sighed. “Look, I get that you don’t trust me. I don’t exactly trust you either. But if we are going to make this work, you have to understand who I am. What I am.”

  He took her hand and they both gasped at the contact. Electricity cracked in the air right before their hands connected and it traveled through them both. The warmth of his hand sizzled through her blood and she breathed in his scent. Her head began to swim. “Let me show you.” She whispered.

  “How?” He breathed, his heart thudding in his chest, finally back to a normal rhythm.

  “Relax breath. Blank your mind out. Just…let go.” She waited until she could feel his heart beat in her hand and he totally relaxed. Gently, she let the energy inside her build until it swirled out from her hand and into him. He shivered violently, and suddenly, his mind was open to her.

  Images swarmed her mind until one rushed forward to the front of his mind. It was a memory of a time when he was a child. Playing on the floor with his siblings, rough housing like boys do.

  They had rolled into a side table and broken an expensive vase that had been a gift. Scared, he had hidden his brother and waited. A man came into the room, screaming and began to be beat the boy until he was bloody.

  She could feel the pain of each blow, the dizzying sensation of nausea at being kicked, the metallic taste of hot blood in his mouth…until blessed darkness took over.

  Shocked, he pulled his hand away from her, visibly shaken by the buried memory. He rubbed his hand, as if her touch burned. Her eyes were glassy, unfocused as she stared at him, tears in her eyes.

  “What are you?” He gasped.

  “I don’t fully understand how I do what I do. Why I can…see things. My sisters and I each carry different abilities. Mine are of the mind.”

  “Sisters?” He gasped.

  “My sisters and I are different. Yes.” She put her hand down.

  “How many of you are there?” He asked.

  “I have three sisters. That I know of. Each of us was born in secret. Our parents were killed, murdered. But not before each of us was adopted out. One of my sisters is in Europe, the other in Africa. My sister from Asia was taken and lost to us.”

  “Lost?” He asked his brow furrowing.

  “We are…connected. Each of us can feel the other. None of my sisters can feel her. She is dead. We agreed that the others would be safer if they came here. We figured we would be stronger together, than apart.”

  “Safety in numbers.” He said. “Common sense.”

  “My sister from Africa isn’t here yet. She’s having trouble crossing the appropriate boarders to get here. I have since warned her not to come. But my sister in France. She was hunted down, and taken at the airport as soon as her plane landed. We think by the man who killed our Asian sister hired Vaughn Cromwell, to hunt her, and me.”

  “What you are saying…you know what it means, don’t you?” He gritted his teeth.

  “War will break out.” She said simply. “That is why I had to get here, first. Before anyone else could find me. Before war breaks out. I need your protection, but more than that, I need your help to rescue my sister.”

  “What makes you think that I would risk my people to help you?” He asked.

  “Because…” She hesitated. “If you help me, I will submit myself to you, as your mate. With that, comes all the power that is within me, to help you lead your people. ”

  He just stared at her, too shocked to close his gaping mouth. Suddenly, he stood and shoved the chair back forcefully enough to skid across the room and crack when it hit the wall. Without a word he stormed out and slammed the door of the infirmary, cracking the glass of the window.

  She sighed, “Well, that went well.” She huffed.

  Cole didn’t sleep for the rest of the night. He tossed and turned, and when he finally did dose off, near dawn, he dreamed of Zara.

  Chapter Four

  First thing in the morning, sitting alone in his office, he still couldn’t get her out of his head. He didn’t know if it was because of the memory mojo she did the night before, or if it was because she had been naked the first time she saw him. Sighing, he picked up the phone. Regardless of his own status, he knew he needed the advice of his elders.

  “This is Cole Sheridan. May I speak with Gavriel please?” He absentmindedly twirled a pen in his fingers.

  “One moment Alpha Sheridan.”

  “I’ll wait.” He said simply. There was a knock on his door. He pressed the button that unlocked the pocket door and his second, Cassius, stepped through. He motioned for Cass to sit.

  “I’m inviting the council of elders to join us for the New Moon feast this month.” Cole said. “Can you instruct Grace to have the guest rooms cleaned and prepare for visitors?”

  “Of course.” Cass said smoothly.

  “Gavriel, hello.” Cole said. “I could use your advice old friend.” He said. “Would you and the rest of the council join the Black Moon pack for the feast this month?”

  He grinned widely. “Great. I’
ll make the arrangements. I look forward to seeing you.”

  He barely hung up the phone when Riley ran in, his floppy blonde hair in his eyes. He brushed it away from his eyes. “Alpha, come quick. There’s been a fight!” The three of them raced from the room, Riley in the lead, to the central courtyard, where two women were circling each other, snapping their jaws and growling. One leapt onto the other, but was kicked off with hind legs.

  “Adrienne!”

  “Isabelle!”

  Cole roared. The two women circling each other froze. “That’s enough!” He commanded, letting his power overflow from him. His eyes blazed bright blue, and the two women howled in response to the energy swirling over them. They both fell to the ground and shifted back to their human bodies. Cassius picked up one of the women and motioned to Riley to grab the other. They both stood unsteadily on their feet.

  “What started this fight?” Cole demanded, narrowing his eyes at them both.

  Neither one of them spoke, heads bowed to the ground.

  “Anybody?” Cole asked, turning to the crowd who had stood around watching.

  “They were fighting over you.” One of the older women piped up. “Challenging each other, to see which would make a better Alpha female for you.”

  Cole started at them both. “Is this true?”

  His question was met with silence.

  “Ok then. From this day forward, neither one of you will be my mate.” He snarled. “An Alpha female should know how to set an example for the young ones. You both know fighting outside the circle is forbidden.”

  One of the women began to cry. The other just sneered at her.

  “Cassius, cuff them together for the next week. They need to know how to work together as a team, to depend on each other.” He said acidly. “As for the rest of you. There will be no more fighting over this issue.” He turned on his heel and walked down to the infirmary.

  When he got there, she was sleeping, the doctor standing over her.

  “How is she doing?” Cole asked, watching her sleep. Her dark ebony hair flowed out from around her. Her face was soft in sleep, without the harshness that stress brings. She was truly beautiful by anyone’s standards, but when she slept, she had an almost childlike, ethereal glow to her skin.

  “She got upset last night, and tried to leave. The rib that was cracked broke when she tried to put her shoes on.” The doctor sighed

  “Why was she trying to leave?” Cole frowned.

  “She was hysterical when I tried to stop her. Claiming she made a mistake coming here, and that she had to go hide somewhere else before she died too.”

  “Oh for Luna’s sake!” He growled. “Tell her when she wakes up that I agree to her terms.” He sighed. “I’ll be back later to check on her. Make sure she is awake by then.”

  An hour later, Cole was standing at the front gate of the property with Cass and two others of his hunting party, ready to greet the elders. As usual, they arrived in pairs of two, until all twelve of them were present. Cole greeted each of them formally, as did the others. When they arrived to the den, Grace fused over each of them, much to their amusement. Once they had all had a meal and were settled into their rooms, Cole asked each of them to join him in the war room.

  “I have given sanctuary to a woman, a cat with an unusual bloodline.” He said. “Someone has been hunting her and her sisters. One of them has already died. To protect her, and my own people, I have agreed to take her as my mate.” He said.

  “Who is hunting her?” Gavriel asked.

  “She claims that Vaughn has been paid to do the hunting.” The panther leader was known to all, to be a vicious and sadistic man. The others all turned to look at Pierce, the panther elder.

  “I know nothing of this.” He shrugged. “Is she panther?” He asked Cole.

  “She is all of us.” Cole said. “I don’t know how or why but she has the ability to share my memories, and somehow she was able to get deep into my lands without any scent, or sound. No one saw her.

  She can shift into whatever she wants to be. All I have ever seen her shift to was a panther. My medical doctor has tested her blood, and she does have wolf genetics as well.” Voices of alarm and shock rippled through the room.

  “She wants to be your mate?” Ivan asked, holding his hand out for silence. “It is true that you need one.”

  “There are fights breaking out over it with the women of my pack now.” Cole agreed. “It was her idea. She offered herself to me in exchange for my help in stopping Vaughn.”

  “If what she claims is true, then he must be stopped before there is an all out war.” Finnegan said. “We can’t afford for that many to die. Our numbers are too few as it is.”

  “I plan to take her as my mate, as soon as she wakes up.” Cole said. “And then demand that Vaughn returns my sister in law.”

  “Agreed.” Pierce said. “Perhaps if he knows she is claimed, this will all end.”

  “That’s not likely.” Zara said, stepping into the room.

  Chapter Five

  “You are awake already?” Cole asked.

  “Apparently, I shifted in my sleep.” She said. “I heal quickly.”

  “So, you are the catling that invaded wolf territory.” Pierce said, standing. “I am elder of the Panthers, Pierce Davison.” He walked toward her and greeted her. She rubbed her cheek against his.

  “It is good to meet you brother.” She smiled.

  Gavriel greeted her as well, and they licked each other’s open palms.

  The others greeted her, but not as formally. It wasn’t required of them. She went to stand beside Cole.

  “If you are in agreement,” She said to the room of elders. “I need to be with my mate as soon as possible.” She took his hand in hers. Immediately the energy swelled and crackled between them. “There is no more time to waste.” She said, staring up at him.

  “Forgive me, Elders.” He said, grinning. “As my lady wishes.” They all laughed well naturedly.

  They walked hand in hand out of the war room, through the library of staring Omegas and Betas, through the hallway and up to the wide grand staircase to his suit. Thomas opened the door for them and Cole locked it behind him. As soon as they were alone, she dropped his hand and turned into him.

  “Are you sure about this?” She asked him.

  He stared down at her. “I know we don’t know each other at all.” He swallowed. “But you…you are a treasure that should be protected. From the first moment I saw you…I felt drawn to you. “He shook his head, somewhat dazed at the revelation. “I don’t understand.”

  “Well, to be fair, I was naked the first time you saw me.” She pointed out.

  His grin turned into a full belly laugh. “True.” He gasped. “That might have had a little something to do with it.”

  She grinned. “I, for one, would rather be your mate than anyone else’s. You are a good man, Cole. Our children will be lucky to have a father like you.”

  “Children?” He stared down at her.

  “Yes, children. You know…tiny were-beasts that keep you up all night and run around your legs all day long and steal your heart the second they come into the world.”

  “Will they be… like you?” He asked, curious.

  “I don’t know.” She confessed. “But with one of my sisters gone, and the others in danger, I just can’t let my bloodline die off.” There were tears in her eyes. “My parents died to protect us. I can’t let that be in vain.” Her voice shook, and one tear escaped from her eyes. He wiped it away with the pad of his thumb.

  “We won’t let that happen.” He whispered, as his mouth descended down onto hers. Immediately, sparks ignited between them as the kiss deepened. Clothing flew off in between passionate kisses until nothing stood between them. Skin to skin, they both burned.

  He picked her up easily and she wrapped her legs around his hips tightly. He rained kissed down her neck, nipping lightly and walked them to the bed. Gently he laid her onto it, sta
rting down at her. She was truly beautiful.

  His scent was intoxicating to her. Desperate for him, she tried to reach down and touch him, but he grabbed her wrist. “Another time.” He growled. “I don’t want to wait to taste you.” She groaned and he came down on top of her, settling between her thighs.

  His eyes burned into her, seared her very soul. Deep inside her, her muscles clenched and she was flooded with heat. Need. She pulled him down to her, growling softly. “Hard and fast. Now” She whispered urgently.

  “No.” He groaned. “Softly.” He kissed down her belly. Then lower. “Slowly” He vowed. Her cries filled the room until finally, neither one of them could stand to wait. When they came together she screamed in pleasure and pain. He grunted softly, his eyes closed. “Look at me.” She whispered, wrapping her arms around him. Instantly, he was filled with her essence, her scent, her memories, and her soul.

  His wolf found hers as their bodies fit together perfectly. With one hand, he grabbed her hip, slowing their rhythm. She hissed in response, wild, scratching at his back, writhing. “Let go, Zara. Give me all of you.” He growled. She shivered violently, she arched into him, the rhythm taking them again and again, and she was so lost in the pleasure of him, she screamed and her whole body went stiff.

  Energy ripped between them, and filled the room, and she shifted into her wolf for the first time. She howled her release with him. Outside the room, Thomas howled, and one by one, every wolf howled a wolf song in return.

  It was hours before the mated pair left the room. She had wanted to shower, but he refused to let her. “It’s better if they all smell me on you. And you on me.” He said sleepily. They lay locked together, spooning until they both drifted off. He slept, utterly peaceful, for the first time in years, his arms wrapped around her warmth. She snuggled into him, completely spent and, finally, unafraid. In the night, she dreamed of her sister.

  Faline shivered in the dark, damp of the basement. Totally nude, she was shackled to the wall, her body literally covered in bruises. Every day the man had come to her, demanding that she tell him where her sister was hiding, and every day, she refused.