Shifter’s Coven: Alpha
Marteeka Karland
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Copyright ©2010 Marteeka Karland
ISBN: 978-1-60521-408-5
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Changeling Press LLC
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www.ChangelingPress.com
Editor: Katriena Knights
Cover Artist: Marteeka Karland
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Shifter’s Coven: Alpha
Marteeka Karland
Wolf and Witch unite as dark forces conspire to tear them apart.
The last thing Gennive expects is to witness a horrible crash involving a mysterious man and a lion cub. The crash isn’t the only thing she didn’t count on. Wade Monroe is a telepath -- and a shape-shifting wolf. The lion cub is his daughter, Sasha, who’s shifted to her cat form out of fear.
Calling on powers she’s suppressed all her life, Gennive helps Wade and Sasha. Wade’s heart calls to Gennive as the vivacious woman awakens feelings he’d thought long dead.
Unfortunately, one “accident” isn’t all that’s in store for Wade and Gennive. The Dark Witches’ Coven has declared war on Wade, jockeying for leadership of his pack. Magic and mayhem follow the couple, and there seems to be little the wolf in Wade can do to stop it.
Chapter One
Gennive sucked in a breath. A semi in the oncoming lane swerved across the median and hit the Navigator two cars in front of her head-on. She swerved around the flying debris, pulled her car off the road, and stopped. The carnage, now behind her, still played out, collecting several more vehicles in the process. Her 911 call took only seconds, then she got out of the car and jogged down the shoulder of the highway, back toward the big, black SUV.
Rain pelted down in great sheets, and heavy drops stung her skin with their intensity and cold. Lightning streaked through the sky followed closely by a loud clap of thunder in the late winter storm, and she winced under nature’s onslaught. Being out in this wasn’t the smartest thing she’d ever done, but she had to see if anyone was hurt.
No, it was more than that. She was compelled to make her way to that SUV. She recognized the pull on her mind but, given the circumstances, allowed it. She’d be careful. Whoever was in that vehicle wasn’t human.
Cars still motored down the road as if nothing had happened. They simply avoided the wreckage and kept going. Gennive could never have done that. Which was why she was here, in the pouring down rain, dodging traffic in near-dark conditions in order to get to someone who was using mind control to bring her to them.
She had to be completely nuts.
The SUV was on its side, the front driver’s side smashed so badly the front seat was now in the back seat. Acrid, electrical burning stench emanated from the thing, and Gennive had to remind herself it was likely from the air bags. The driver, a man, was motionless in the seat. Blood covered his face and neck. His shirt was soaked in it. A faint aura of impending danger surrounded him. The closer she got to him, the more the aura faded.
Gennive immediately looked to his chest to gauge the rise and fall that indicated breathing. Satisfied, she checked for a pulse. It was thready but strong. At least he was alive. However, in this weather, he wouldn’t stay that way unless she could keep him warm. She frantically looked around the vehicle for something to cover him up with. She didn’t dare move him, but she needed to keep him warm and dry if at all possible.
In her search for a blanket or coat or anything she could use as a cover, she heard a high-pitched whine. On the back seat passenger side floorboard, partially hidden under the front seat, was a lion cub. The animal had a grim aura around it, as well, which was odd considering she rarely ever caught auras around animals.
The poor thing shivered and looked at her as if to say, “Help me, I’m scared.”
“Take her.”
The man was trying to speak, but his voice was weak, and had he not been speaking both in her mind and out loud, Gennive probably wouldn’t have heard him at all.
The cub? Gennive deliberately used the mental thread he had created when he’d made his desperate cry for help. There was no need for him to use strength he didn’t have if it wasn’t necessary. Along with his all-consuming need to protect the little cub, Gennive also felt his surprise. Still, he didn’t waste time questioning her abilities.
Take her. Keep her safe.
Will she allow it? The last thing Gennive wanted was to be mauled by a baby lion.
She will. Keep her safe.
After that, the thread slipped away as the man fell into unconsciousness.
“Come on, little girl.” She tried to keep her voice calm and friendly, extending her hand to the frightened animal. Surprisingly, the cub approached her and allowed Gennive to pick her up. When she did, the aura disappeared, just as the aura around the man lessened when Gennive was near. The cub trembled, but allowed the contact. Gennive could hear sirens in the distance and knew help was on the way, but she didn’t want the cub to be seen.
Making a mad dash back to her car, she tucked the cub into her coat and put her in the back passenger side floorboard. She grabbed the blanket she kept in the trunk for emergencies and ran back to the SUV just as EMS crews arrived.
“Did you move him, ma’am?”
“No. I checked for a pulse then went to get something to cover him.” Rain pounded her, and she shivered almost uncontrollably. “Where will you take him?”
“County, ma’am. Do you know who he is?” The EMT didn’t stop his assessment or his swift extraction and immobilization of his patient.
She started to tell him no. That she’d watched him get clobbered by that semi and stopped to help, but she was afraid she might never see him again otherwise.
“Yes. He’s my fiancé. Please help him.” Gennive tried to sound appropriately distressed, which wasn’t far from the truth. He was the first person she’d touched with her mind since she was a little girl. There was a bond between them she couldn’t simply ignore.
“What’s his name, ma’am?”
Gennive froze. Of course they’d want to know his name.
Wade Monroe. His voice whispered gently in her mind, and the sound curled deep in her chest and wrapped its way around her heart. Her mother had always told her that communicating this way was dangerous. Gennive had always thought it was because she might try it with the wrong person and be labeled a freak. Now she suspected it h
ad more to do with the intimacy of the act.
Or maybe she was just out of practice.
“His name’s Wade Monroe.”
The EMT was saying something, but Gennive concentrated on the man in the SUV. What was she supposed to do? She couldn’t leave him alone, but she couldn’t leave her car.
Keep her safe.
Grinding her teeth, Gennive stepped back while the medics finished extracting Wade from the SUV and loaded him into the ambulance.
“We’ll let County know you’re behind us. They’ll give you less hassle getting in that way. Bring his ID and insurance if you can.”
“Take care of him,” she called out.
She turned to go, and ran smack into a state trooper. He steadied her with his hands on her upper arms.
“Careful.” Once she had her balance again, he let her go. “You’re his fiancée?”
Gennive had to bite her cheek. She didn’t like lying. “Yes.”
“Were you with him when this happened?”
“Uh, no. I was a couple cars behind him.” She needed to search his car. Find his ID or cell phone or insurance card or… something. He needed someone with him who knew him. Not her. “Look, I don’t mean to be rude, but I really need to get a few things from his car then go to the hospital. Can we do this there?”
He nodded curtly. “Shouldn’t be a problem. The fire department’s ready to take over here. Get what you need and I’ll follow you to the hospital.”
Nothing like subtle. Gennive understood, though. It was his job.
She went to the passenger side. Gennive had to crawl through the window and pry open the glove box. Once she had it open, she dug through it until she found his proof of insurance. Thankfully, his cell was in the passenger seat. She took it, as well, before she waved at the officer and ran to her car. Gennive was soaked and chilled to the bone.
As she fastened her seatbelt and cranked the heat on high, she tried desperately to find that mental link Wade Monroe had opened to her without success. If he’d been unconscious -- as was her original thought -- she’d have picked up his subconscious. The human brain was magnificent. Had he been incapacitated, she would have been able to hear at least part of what was going on around him. She felt nothing. Heard nothing. Mr. Monroe was blocking her. Which meant he was very adept at telepathy.
Gennive didn’t know if speeding was allowed under the circumstances, since she was being trailed by a state trooper, but she did eighty to the hospital anyway. It might have been a compulsion, but she didn’t really care. She’d figure out the enigmatic telepath later. She was more concerned with what she’d find when she got to the hospital. Unless she was mistaken, he wanted her there to help him escape.
* * *
Wade was careful to keep his mind firmly blocked from the little telepath. She was good, but he was better. Once on his way to the hospital, he had to concentrate to keep the external healing to a minimum or else all the injuries the paramedics had already found would be gone. He was a wolf mage, and his healing abilities were even better than that of the vampyre. Had he not put them firmly in check, he would have been healed of all his injuries in a matter of hours.
Coming across the woman was both a blessing and a curse. A blessing in that, being a telepath, her mental paths were mature and natural. She didn’t question his abilities or his instructions. A curse in that she was still human. Her first thought had been to call for help. Now, getting back to his cub was going to be difficult even with her help.
There was also a curious pull within him toward her. Even blocking her from his thoughts, there was a need to touch her mind so strong it bordered on a compulsion. The small time he had to gently probe her mental paths revealed a beautiful and simple trust. It was as though she felt the same need to reach out to him as he did to her. He found she didn’t really trust him, but her subconscious urged her to follow his instructions. And she had. She was puzzled by her behavior, but she didn’t question it. Wade felt her uneasiness, but also her resignation that she’d do whatever he asked.
It was only minutes before they reached the hospital, and Wade still held his consciousness inside himself, not responding to the outward stimuli of his body. His mind reached for the woman, Gennive. She raced after them, suspicious of his intentions, knowing she’d do whatever he wanted. He was still unsure of her abilities, but for now, it was enough that she could pick up his thoughts. Whatever else she could do, he’d deal with later.
He knew the exact moment Gennive entered the emergency room, and his chest tightened. It had been a long time since he’d actually wanted a woman’s presence. Had he been in a more appropriate place, he might actually have tried to seduce her.
Mingled with Gennive’s scent, he also smelled little Sasha. She was hidden and perfectly still, held securely in Gennive’s arms. He felt a small mental push from Gennive, and everyone in his room left. When they were alone, he opened his eyes. Gennive had wrapped the cub in a blanket and draped her jacket over the bundle. It was bulky, but she used some kind of mental illusion there as well, not necessarily masking the cub, but drawing attention away from Sasha. Clever. His cub was frightened, but not of Gennive. She seemed to take comfort in the secure hold Gennive had on her.
I need you to get me out of here, Gennive.
But you’re hurt. You need their help.
I will heal in a few hours. It’s actually worse for me to stay here. If they realize how quickly I’m healing, it will raise suspicions I can’t afford.
Wade felt rather than heard her sigh of frustration. He also felt her irritation that she knew she’d follow his orders without question.
I’ll do what I can to cover you. I can’t make you invisible, but I can distract their attention while we leave.
It will be enough. I can add my energies to yours for a better effect.
Gennive glanced down the hallway, looking for hospital staff. Wade heard monitors beeping and alarming in several different places. There was a commotion, and several men and women ran past them. Apparently satisfied, Gennive hurried to his side and helped him up.
“OK. Now. We have to go. Now.”
Wade was sore and stiff. His whole body hurt. He’d feel better tomorrow, but right now he was miserable. It took all his strength of body, mind and will to get up off of the stretcher and onto his feet.
He shook his head. Gennive looked at him, then out the door again, anxiety in her lovely face. She looked like she knew she needed to assist him in standing, but was afraid to touch him. Indeed, she stood cowering in the doorway, hugging Sasha close.
The lion cub wiggled out of the blanket and rubbed her head on Gennive’s chin. The gesture seemed to calm Gennive as much as Sasha, and they both visibly settled down.
We don’t have much time, sweetheart. Wade tried to give her an encouraging grin, but he wasn’t certain he pulled it off.
Wade followed as Gennive carefully made her way through the ER to the exit. Now that they were leaving the hospital and the watchful eye of modern medical equipment, he could quit fighting his body’s natural healing abilities. However, healing would take a lot of energy. He needed to sleep. Badly. He wasn’t sure how long his strength would hold out, but he’d make it as far as he could.
Correction. He’d make it as far as he had to. He’d do it because Gennive needed him to. She was willing to help him, but she couldn’t do it by herself.
He stumbled outside and spotted Gennive running across the parking lot to her car. She was in the car and pulling it around to him so fast her tires screeched. Wade used every trick he knew to muffle the sound, but he was so weak, he wasn’t sure how effective he’d been. Fortunately, it didn’t matter. Once he was in her car, Gennive sped away as if the hounds of hell were on their heels. She looked as though she thought they really were.
* * *
For several minutes Gennive drove as fast as she dared. She constantly checked her mirrors for the police she was certain would come screaming after her any second
. Several miles later, she had to force herself to slow down or risk getting caught out of stupidity.
“It’s not like you did anything wrong, you know.” Wade’s voice was weak.
“Don’t try to talk. Save your strength in case we need it. We’re on the run.”
He snorted. “On the run from what? What did you do wrong?”
“I helped you escape! They’ve probably got all kinds of APBs out on us and everything!”
“Why?”
Gennive opened her mouth to answer, then stopped. What exactly had they done wrong? Leave the hospital against medical advice? The trooper had taken her statement -- which wasn’t much of anything. The hospital staff had taken his blood and quite possibly a urine sample -- she didn’t want to think about that. They had his license, registration, and proof of insurance. What else could they possibly need? “Uh, well…”
“Exactly.” Wade sounded entirely too smug. “Now slow down before we wreck. Again.”
“I guess twice in one night would be a bit much, huh?”
“Indeed.”
“Where do you want me to take you? I have no idea where you live.”
“Twenty-two Thornbrook Row. Help me inside, keep Sasha tonight, and I won’t ask anything else of you.” Tonight, anyway.
The unspoken addendum caressed her mind like a lover’s stroke, and Gennive shivered. She had no idea what he meant, but it felt exceedingly naughty.
Deciding to ignore it, she asked about the lion. “Is there anything I need for your cub?”
“I’ll give you a duffle with her things in it when we get to my home. I suggest you go through it before you go to bed.”
“Why is that?”
He didn’t answer her. When she glanced his way, Wade’s eyes were closed, and his breathing was steady and deep. He’d finally succumbed to sleep.
Chapter Two
Dragging Wade inside the huge house wasn’t an option. He had close to one hundred and fifty pounds and eight or nine inches in height on her. Still, Gennive was about to try when the shadows surrounding her car moved. They melded into the biggest, scariest looking man she’d ever seen. His skin was so black she might have been tricked into thinking he wasn’t there at all if not for the faint gloss of his skin under the moonlight. Instinctively, she put her body between his and Wade’s.
Shifter’s Coven Alpha Page 1
