by E Hall
He sighs with relief as we kiss.
When we part, I say, “Back to business. Remember that whole thing about wolves being so tough? Diamonds are too, right? I think this is what saved me when Melchior stabbed me in the heart. It was almost like he just killed my vampire and the diamond, hanging on a chain under my shirt, deflected the worst of the magic.” My voice is slow and relaxed as I try to figure this out on the spot.
Corbin leans in, studying the diamond ring. “You might be right.”
“The correct answer is, of course, you’re right, babe.”
Corbin repeats the statement with a light laugh.
“I’m serious.” Then I laugh too.
“So, where did your father find the real scepter?”
“After I left in the Jeep, I found him here, searching. Then he left, saying he had to find Jana and confront her for ensorcelling him. I continued looking for it. Alister appeared, wondering what was going on. You can imagine how upset he was to have missed Greyson. I explained about the scepter. He seemed to brighten, almost taking on his regular form. It turned out, in his years here in the empty house, he’d found it. The scepter was at Lonsdale all along, but instead of it being in the box Clove showed us, it was glamoured as an antique lamp that belonged to Greyson’s parents.”
“It was right under his nose all along.”
“Then I found you. I assume my dad came back, met with Alister, and got ahold of the scepter. You know the rest.” Emotion threatens to overwhelm me.
Corbin draws me into his arms. I rest there, feeling grounded, connected, so close to his wolf.
When we part, I say, “My father’s last words were an instruction to break the curse.”
“What curse?”
I shrug. “That’s what we have to find out, and I think I know where to start.”
Corbin lifts his eyebrows in question.
“The diary.”
“It’s blank.”
“It has missing pages.”
We spend the next hours carefully tearing apart the room, but no random pages appear. My mind skips from possibility to possibility. It could all mean something or nothing at all. But we don’t have any clearer picture.
I lose myself in an old sepia map. The thick and dotted lines divide the land and countries differently than they are now. Old world images and warnings of pirate-filled waters and mermaids mark the paper. A dragon fills a corner of uncharted territory.
I chuckle at how very strange and unbelievable my life has become. Corbin takes my hand and squeezes it. There’s nothing for me to say other than whoa or wow or why. Instead, I say nothing. But I squeeze back.
He plants his lips on my cheek then my temple, then my lips. The maps fade from view as my eyes blink closed. Now, I lose myself in his kiss.
In the following days, the weather fluctuates between frenzied rainstorms and calm skies. Various members of the pack talk about how winter comes early to that part of the world.
I’m in my room at the lodge, finishing a diary entry as I process everything that’s happened.
Mom returned to the states but is considering tying up her loose ends and coming to Concordia permanently now that she knows I pledged myself to the pack. She was apologetic about drawing out my vampire energy. She also gave me the cloak back. To be honest, having slain the vampire, I feel less restless inside. It’s weird. I guess I’m weird, but I’m okay with that.
Corbin said he’s going to deal with Melchior. The fae king is a Council member and charged with the duty to kill the MMW aka me, but according to my mate, that doesn’t excuse his behavior.
Clove is missing. At least the werewolf is no longer a problem. Still, my heart breaks for all the loss.
Corbin and I are mending things between us. All he wanted was to protect me, but he can’t lie to me even if the truth is hard to bear. If we’re going to be true Alphas, true mates, we have to trust each other.
When I’m done writing, I flip through each of the pages in the diary my brother sought, searching for words. I try a black light in case invisible ink hides the script. I summon fae magic to reveal the contents of the pages. No luck.
From the kitchen, the savory scent of fried peppers, onions, garlic along with sausage tells me that it’s pizza night. My stomach rumbles. Before I can get my paws on dinner, Inga and Camilla intercept me in the hallway.
“The pack knows you’re awesome, especially for defending us and trying to eliminate the werewolf, but, um, you know, if you want to get back at Avril, Heather, Harper, and Hannah...” Camilla says with a glint in her eye.
I lean in. “I’m intrigued.”
Inga passes me a piece of paper and leans over my shoulder, reading the list. “You’ll need to supply the duct tape, blank paper, and a pink pen. Also an assortment of permanent markers, mint-flavored Mentos, dental floss, a sixteen-ounce bottle of Dr. Pepper, and a package of cream cheese.”
“This is the kind of shopping list that suggests I not ask questions.”
They both lift and lower their eyebrows.
Camilla rubs her hands together. “We’re the diabolical duo when it comes to pranks—it’s common for pack mates to prank each other. It’s harmless but totally hilarious.”
“We’d like to invite you in to make it a trio.”
“Consider I’m missing one of my three forms of magic, count me in,” I say with a laugh. I glance at the list. “Oh, do you want the whipped kind of cream cheese or a brick? I ask only because my mom prefers the whipped.”
Camilla nods approvingly. “Attention to detail. We like that. Get the brick and keep it cold.”
“We’ll bring those girls to their knees,” Camilla says and then adds, “In a harmless and non-confrontational way, of course.”
“Actually, that depends on what you consider harmless. Humiliation? Check. Confusion? Definitely. Aggravation? For sure.” Inga laughs diabolically.
We all start giggling.
“Meet us out here at seven-hundred hours.”
I salute them in affirmation.
Corbin isn’t at dinner so I wolf down a few slices of pizza before heading over to his cottage with a plate. He’s been working a lot, assuring the local officials that the problem aka werewolf is resolved as well as trying to get in touch with the vampire Council representative, Ivan.
Melchior is MIA, and I can tell Corbin is seething to get revenge on the fae king for stabbing me. I have a feeling more than cream cheese will be involved.
Lanterns line the walkway. I knock lightly on the door then go in.
Corbin bows over the table, reading something. I place the plate in front of him. He straightens and then beams me a smile.
I’ll never get tired of his face. I drop into his lap, planting a kiss on his lips.
“What’s that for?” he asks.
“Wolf breath isn’t so bad, but pizza breath, no thank you. Figured I’d get a smooch first.”
He chuckles.
“Any developments?” I ask.
He shakes his head.
“Me neither. I think we have to go back to Lonsdale. Scope out the secret room again.”
“I was thinking of tracking Clove down and—”
I cut off whatever horribly violent thing he wants to do to my brother for deceiving us. “Maybe we can talk first. Hear his side of the story.”
Corbin’s wolf growls.
“Hey, I gave you a second chance.”
“Is that because I’m irresistible?” he asks playfully.
“Well, yes, and because I believe in us.”
His face softens with seriousness. “Thank you.”
“When it comes to love it’s the big and little things. Picking up my favorite doughnuts, bringing you dinner when you’re working hard, watching cheesy movies together that maybe the other one doesn’t love. It’s accepting your person at their best and their worst and not turning our backs when things get hard. It’s about being open and kind and true.”
“I can do
that. I promise. Should we get married or do the fated mates sealing ritual first?”
My wolf yips inside.
I flash the ring on my hand. “Good question, but my wolf answered first.”
“I take it that means the ritual?”
I nod. “Plus, I’m thinking my mom will want to help plan the wedding.”
“Good thing my wallet is deep, considering what she and your dad mentioned about luxury.”
Corbin draws me toward the window. The stars flicker and dance like the lanterns on the path. The crescent moon gleams in the sky, reminding me of the top of the scepter.
“It’s the first day of autumn,” he says then turns to me.
Our lips are a breath away and we linger there. He presses his mouth to mine, sweetly, softly. I return the kiss as if I’ve been waiting for it all my life.
Corbin lets out a wolfy sigh. I smile around his mouth.
As the kiss deepens, it gets hungrier. Our noses and teeth mash together, before slowing again and our kiss turns dreamy. It reminds me of the direction of our lives together—sometimes things will be peaceful, harmonious and other times deeper than the ocean, the sky, and whatever mysteries exist between.
When we part, we lock hands, and gaze through the window into the distance along with our future together with wonderment. The lanterns flicker. The breeze rustles the branches on the nearest tree. I hear a faint song.
On the boundary of the property near the forest, my wolf sight picks out a figure then two, four, ten, too many to count.
Despite Corbin’s hand in mine, I shiver. Or maybe I’m imagining things. Stranger things have happened.
Keep reading... book 3 in the Sweet Paranormal Wolf & Fae Fantasy Romance Series series, Loss Hunted.
An excerpt is below
Chapter 1
Kenna
Deep thought of the day: the greatest education is learning about oneself.
Who knew I was an ace pool player. I slide the billiard’s cue smoothly through my fingers and sink the last striped ball into the corner pocket.
I play it cool at my win when really I’m bouncing inside.
Half the wolf shifters in the room cheer. My opponent, Trigg, groans.
“Are we done?” I ask, lowering my cue and holding it like a staff, er, scepter.
He slaps his cell phone in my hand. “One call, Kenna.”
I arch an eyebrow. “The deal was I get the phone for a full day.”
“Two hours,” Trigg counters.
My wolf growls. “I’m not open to negotiations. This started as whoever won two out of three games. I won twenty-one. It isn’t ping pong or a card game.”
Camilla slides off the edge of her perch on the side of the pool table, where she watched me crush Trigg. “We have a ping-pong table.” She points to the corner where it’s folded up.
Trigg chuckles. “I’m in.”
I shoot him a glare and slide the phone in my pocket.
“Who are you going to call?” Trigg asks.
“None of your business.” Yes, I have a call to make. However, mostly I have research to do—Polaris is woefully underserved when it comes to modern technology. Or rather, internet access. So I have to do what I have to do.
“I’ll see the log and the history,” he says.
“Not if I wipe it clean,” I say, lifting onto tiptoes and practically hissing in his face.
I mean, I shouldn’t bite the hand that feeds me, it is his cell phone, but we had a bet. If I won, I got the use of the phone which strictly speaking he isn’t supposed to have at the wolf Headquarters—it interferes with our power.
I could go all Alpha wolf on him and seize it, but that isn’t how Pack Hjalmor works. Anyway, I know he uses it to send late-night texts to his girlfriend, Avril, who hates me. I’d like to know why, but that’s another matter for another time.
“Password?” I ask, tapping the screen.
“That wasn’t part of the bet.” Trigg smirks like he bested me.
A low growl fills my chest.
He holds up his hands in surrender. “Alright, all right. The password is 1-2-3-4.”
I roll my eyes and try it.
The screen changes to an image of Trigg and Avril with their arms around each other.
I think of Corbin, wondering where he is. Pack duties fill most of his days, and mine, though it’s already evening.
I already did my morning strength and agility practice, weapons and defense, and tactical and strategy training. That was after I had my early morning shift in the kitchen as part of the rotation of chores, including tending to the vegetable gardens, grounds, trails, cleaning, and of course, cooking. I figured I’d earned a few hours of chill time in the game room.
As soon as Trigg exits, Camilla and Inga swarm around me.
They also wanted me to win the phone time so I can watch video footage, capturing Avril and her mean girl posse being idiots.
I cannot deny my sweet tooth or the bad influence Camilla and Inga have on me for harmless pranks.
Earlier, I switched out the sweet cream doughnut filling for mayonnaise I served Avril, Heather, Harper, and Hannah. Mixing their coffee grounds with a bit of dirt was priceless.
The rest of it was all beta wolf shenanigans.
“How’d you know Avril uses the bathroom every day at the same time?” I ask as phase one of Prank-gate displays on the phone screen.
Avril poked her head out of the bathroom door. Her pants were around her ankles. She called for help, but no one came. She wrinkled her nose and then hopped down the hall to another bathroom (there are at least ten in the lodge). The camera zoomed in on the bathroom where the shelf, filled with empty toilet paper rolls. The one next to the toilet had a choice couple words written on the cardboard.
Camilla and Inga slap hands in a high five.
Phase two of the video displays Heather opening a bottle of soda. It exploded all over her in a fizzy mess.
“That’s what I call a soda-splosion,” Camilla says.
“Using the floss, I threaded it under the cap, snipped the ends off, and then balanced the mint candy inside,” Inga explains.
“Are there any Mentos left?” Camilla asks.
Inga shakes her head. “I ate them.”
“Phase three, we replaced Harper’s deodorant with cream cheese,” Camilla says as we watch her emerge from the bathroom looking disgusted.
“Phase four?” I ask when the video nears the end.
“We didn’t have the heart to prank Hannah. She’s actually sweet. Not sure why she hangs out with the meanies.” Camilla smiles apologetically.
As an Alpha wolf, and knowing how Corbin wants us all to be like one big family, especially because most of our real-life families are gone since wolves live so long, it makes me sad and concerned that there are mean girls among us. Also, because family is all I’ve ever wanted and the mean girl posse has made it clear that I’m not welcome.
“The pranks are funny, but I’ll have to think of a way to make them see that we’re better and stronger together. I no longer feel the need to prove myself, but also know that we could just prank each other back and forth for the rest of time.”
Inga laughs. “Doesn’t sound like a terrible idea, but I know what you mean.”
“Okay, but not before the pièce de résistance,” Camilla says in a perfect French accent. “Those were teases. Little pranks to get back at them for all the times they’ve terrorized the wolves under them and you, Kenna. Avril is a bully.”
“And she’s on probation,” I remind them.
“We’ll see if this changes her ways.”
“Okay, what’s the showstopper?” I ask, wondering if they have more prank footage.
“You’ll have to wait and see, but it’s targeted at Avril since she’s the ringleader.” Inga winks. “And she messed with you.”
“We got your back, girl,” Camilla says.
At that, the two betas leave me with Trigg’s phone.
&nbs
p; I slide onto the edge of the pool table, taking Camilla’s spot. I could be a total snoop and look at all of Trigg’s photos or delete them because he was being such a jerk. Instead, I get down to business.
First, I watch the prank video one more time because seeing the discomfort and shock on Avril, Heather, and Harper’s faces is hilarious.
My pulse jumps when Corbin’s voice interrupts my thoughts using the wolf-way of communication—I think of it as having an internal Walkie-Talkie.
Did he catch wind of the pranks and intend to put us on probation too? I hustle to the den, a large room with a long boardroom style table, reserved for meetings with the betas.
Baker sits toward the middle, clicking away on his laptop. If he wasn’t so attached to the thing, I’d have asked him if I could borrow it for my research, but I also don’t think I could get anything by him. Not that I have to hide, but my particular search terms may raise concern.
Corbin sits at one end with his fingers steepled and his head tucked, deep in thought. I lower into the chair at the other end. He glances up.
Our eyes meet. Deep copper to smoky gray. My pulse doesn’t jump this time. It leaps. All it takes is one look, sometimes less than that to get my heart racing, my stomach spinning, and my thoughts turning to mush.
Corbin is my Alpha, my fated mate, and the love of my young life. I’m still blindsided by those facts and the deep love I have for him. I’m in love with him and love him. Would do anything for him. I could swoon.
His lips quirk toward an amused smile. I’m pretty sure I’m looking at him with major heart eyes right now. At least I’m not in trouble. I don’t think he’d be able to freeze me with that smolder if the pranks ticked him off.
No, something else is going on. Something bad, if the layer of unease beneath the heat of his desire for me is any indication.
The others, except Avril, filter into the room and take their spots at the table with Claude and Inga on one side and Trigg, Camilla, and Baker on the other.
Corbin gets right down to business. “We have to smoke out the Klave. Amanda was our one connection.”
“And my father, presumably.”
