by Leia Stone
Queen Alpha
NYC Mecca Series Book 2
By: Leia Stone and Jaymin Eve
Table of Contents
Map
Chapter One - The first cut is the deepest.
Chapter Two - One beary brutal beating.
Chapter Three - Burning bridges. Scarred feet.
Chapter Four - I am queen. Hear me roar.
Chapter Five - A whole new world.
Chapter Six - Kisses aren’t for forgetting…
Chapter Seven - Love is like magic, volatile, beautiful, and scary.
Chapter Eight - All that glitters is a gold mine of information.
Chapter Nine - Summer fun. Summer love.
Chapter Ten - For just one moment, time stood still.
Chapter Eleven - Fire can reduce the strongest tree to ash.
Chapter Twelve - A silver lining is sometimes black.
Chapter Thirteen - Queen of hearts.
Chapter Fourteen - The best things in life are furry.
Chapter Fifteen - There’s no business like fae business.
Chapter Sixteen - The dance of life, one step forward, ten steps back.
Queen Fae – NYC Mecca Series #3 is available to pre-order now!
Books from Leia Stone & Jaymin Eve
Copyright © 2017 by Leia Stone and Jaymin Eve. All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced. Stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the author.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, live or dead are purely coincidental.
Stone, Leia
Eve, Jaymin
Queen Alpha
For information on reproducing sections of this book or sales of this book go to www.leiastone.com or www.Jaymineve.com
[email protected]
[email protected]
To the Alpha in all of us. Be strong and steadfast.
Chapter One
The first cut is the deepest.
There had been many times in my life I had mourned shifters I loved. I’d mourned the idea of a father since I was old enough to realize I would never know him. I dealt with it, moved on, and decided I’d never do the same thing to my children. But that didn’t mean the hole wasn’t still there. It always would be. I just learned how to accept and compartmentalize it.
Then my mother. Her death had stolen the last of my childhood innocence. Despite the fact she’d always been a bit cold and distant, she was there for advice, for support. That she had been taken before knowing Winnie, my sister, was a double blow, one I wasn’t sure I’d ever really recover from.
Kade had also made that list. The kiss we’d shared at the summer festival stayed with me for five years, and even though he was back in my life, there was still no chance of us ever having more than an alliance. We both ruled different shifter clans. We were allies now, but our people had been enemies for too many years for the animosity to turn into anything positive. Duty and protocol was my priority. My people would always be my focus, but that didn’t mean my heart wasn’t mourning for what was and what could have been. For now, I had Kade in my life as a friend, and I had to accept that was all it’d ever be.
One other death had resonated strongly with me: Jeremiah, the single father of two, who had turned to a life of crime to feed his young. I’d been an heir then, not yet the alpha of the Bronx. I’d seen his trial. The queen had him killed to prove her own strength, to show the other wolves that no one stole in her territory. I had to stand witness then, as I was coming of age. It was not an action any fifteen-year-old wanted to see, especially one who was fragile from the loss of her mother. After that I saw the Red Queen in a different light. I loved her no less, but I feared her a little more. She was brutal in a way I had no comprehension for.
That was also the day I wished to never be queen. I’d been happy being a queen heir with all of the benefits that came with it. Of course, fate had a different idea in store for me, and now I was ruler of the three boroughs in New York City, controlling the mecca, our energy and magic source.
The greatest leaders are forged in fire and trial, and this was going to be one hell of a fiery trial. I was a queen on the brink of a war, which didn’t surprise me in the slightest. But I would not worry on that today. Today I was in mourning again, this time for one of my friends, dominants, and former lovers.
Derek. He had been cut down by a dark fae during the battle at Kade’s home. Cut down protecting me, which he’d been doing for many years. Since becoming the alpha of the Bronx, I’d had six core dominants, the best of my people. My friends. Losing one of our own was a pain that sent roiling surges of mecca through my body. But I had to keep it contained. Mecca was powerful and dangerous; it could easily kill the shifters around me, and I was their queen. It was my duty to protect them.
“I can’t believe he’s gone,” Monica said beside me, her voice almost inaudible. She had run her hands through her ashy-blonde hair so many times it was literally standing on end, and her eyes were rimmed in red, her hands shaking as she stared out across the mass of shifters before us.
Monica was one of my inner six – well, five now, along with Blaine, Jen, Ben, and Victor – standing with me on the raised platform. Directly across from us, on the funeral pyre, our friend Derek was going out in full warrior fashion, to take his place with the gods. The council, on the other side of the platform, were performing the last rites.
“He went out as a warrior, protecting Ari. He would not have asked for more than that,” said Blaine, one of my oldest and best friends. “It is good that we honor him today, that we stand with all the shifters to honor his sacrifice.”
The rest of the shifter world did not know about the fae threat yet, but they would soon. I’d finally convinced the council that we were at war, and that Derek would only be the first of many. It had taken them quite some time to accept. We’d never had to deal with the fae, the Tuatha de Danann, as a threat. Heck, they had not been much more than a fable, a folk story from the origin of shifters. They’d disappeared from Earth around the time of the first shifters. And yet … they hadn’t disappeared at all. They’d gone into the Otherworld, the parallel land that shared mecca power with us, and now, since the death of the Red Queen, they’d stepped out of the shadows, and wanted control of the mecca energy.
Torine, the oldest of the council, raised his voice as he finished the death ceremony: “Dust to dust, ash to ashes. Derek of the yellow line will now take his place among his ancestors. He will rule in the next life as a warrior. We honor him.”
“We honor him,” was echoed back by the hundreds who were stationed around the expansive and private garden of the royal mansion. It was here that we would send my old friend to the gods.
The council turned to me then and I knew it was time for me to offer reassurance. The fact that Derek was killed in bear territory was not a great thing for our fragile new friendship. Rumors had been rife despite my initial press release about a new threat we were investigating. They thought I was covering for Kade because we were friends. Everyone wanted to blame the bears again for our troubles.
No more.
I stepped forward, my dominants remaining a respectful distance behind me as protocol dictated. “One of our own has been taken,” I said, my voice strong as it echoed across the gardens. “Brutally murdered by the same foe who killed our queen and many of our people on the night of the Summit. This was not
the bears’ doing. If it hadn’t been for the bears, we would have lost many more that night. King Kade aided us. He forged a friendship between our people that I want to see grow and develop. For without it, we will have no chance against those who think they can threaten our people.”
From the corner of my eye I could see that the council looked concerned. They probably thought I was going to drop the fae bomb on everyone right now. I knew better than that though. This was not going to be an easy sell. That information needed to start with a small group of alphas and then, very slowly, we would filter the news to the packs.
“Who attacked us, then?” someone shouted from the crowd.
Turning in that direction, I let some of my inner wolf rise up, the mecca shimmering across my skin in a purple glow of energy. I knew the mecca crown on my head would also be glowing, the stones infused with energy. I remained silent for a moment, letting them stare upon me. It never hurts to remind them that you are queen, that you are powerful.
Finally I said, “We have suspicions about who is behind the new threat. All I will say for now is that they are not enemies who will be easily countered, and until such a time I have more evidence this is all you need to know.”
No one else opened their mouths, which probably had a lot to do with the purple lightshow my body was doing. Stepping across the platform, I neared my fallen friend. His body was tightly bound in a stitched cloth that displayed his yellow lineage symbol. He was handsome still, even in death, with his multicolored hair styled back neatly. But all of his vibrancy was gone; it was impossibly painful to see Derek like this, to know he was gone and that we were about to send his shell off in a warrior fire. Sucking in a few short breaths, trying to get my emotions under control, I lifted my head to the sky and shouted: “Derek, you are honored. A warrior going home to your people. Fly free, my friend. Until we meet again.”
Violet, my best friend and pack magic born, stepped up beside me, and together we lifted our hands and a burst of purple flames shot up all around the pyre. I needed her help; I was a newbie when it came to mecca control. The flames smashed against us, we were so close. The heat was scorching, tightening my skin to the point it felt like it would crack, drying the tears tracing slowly down my cheeks. But I couldn’t move. I couldn’t leave him until he was dust and ashes. That was the way of our people.
My dominants joined me, all of us burning with our friend. Then, as one, the seven of us, Violet included, lifted our heads and let loose a long, mournful howl. My people joined in. Our cries rang out across the royal house, across the world. I let my sorrow filter out into my bonds with all shifters. Calista had sent out a press release stating the time of the funeral and asked shifters around the world to pray for Derek and to pay their respects. I felt them now, scattered about within the energy that made up my body.
For a moment the shifter packs all stood together in grief, and I knew this was the only way for us to beat the fae, as one people. But we would also need the bear shifters.
I needed Kade. It was a truth that could get me dethroned or killed, an alliance I needed to be careful with but my heart and gut told me it was the only way. Kade was going to teach me how to control and channel mecca, and then we were going to neutralize the threat against our people.
One way or another.
Chapter Two
One beary brutal beating.
I lay on my back panting, sweat beading my brow. The force of the mecca had just thrown me across the room and Kade was not happy.
“You need to focus!” he said, his voice firm as he reached down to pull me up. I reluctantly took his hand and stood, meeting his molten gaze.
“I am focusing! The mecca is out of control. No one can handle this kind of power.” It had been three weeks since the fae had attacked us all at the king’s mansion. Three weeks and over a half dozen mecca training sessions with Kade.
We were struggling to fit them all in with my new queen duties. Kade was more established within his boroughs and didn’t have as much to do, so he was working around my timetable.
Kade pushed back at me again, one of the few shifters in the world who could without repercussions. “You’re wrong. I can see the mecca, and although I agree it’s stronger than ever, you can control it. I’ve never seen someone’s body so responsive to the energy. Almost as if you were made to harness it.”
My cheeks reddened at his reference to my body. Not only was the energy within us constantly pushing us together, the close proximity of our training was upping the sexual tension to a tangible level that was making him extra hard to resist.
Calista, my royal advisor, had been harping on about me taking a mate – at least for the short term, to kill off the rumors of my supposed affair with the king. The council was spinning it to say we were in peace talks, trying to form an alliance to figure out who had killed the former Red Queen, but rumors still abounded. My eulogy at Derek’s sendoff had helped a little – I heard less talk of killing bears anyway. But one speech was never going to undo hundreds of years of animosity. Slow and steady.
“There are new rumors about me,” I said to Kade after I caught my breath. “Apparently I’m sleeping my way through the bears in the hopes of conceiving a hybrid child.” I shook my head at the very thought. There had never been a hybrid child. It was strictly forbidden and I wasn’t even sure it was possible.
Kade snorted; his chest rumbled. “I think we need to start giving our people harder jobs. They have way too much time on their hands for gossip.”
“Yep, not enough toiling going on in the shifter world. They’ve had it too easy for too long.”
He straightened, waving his hand, which meant he wanted me to stop procrastinating and start training again. Stretching out my aching body, I let out a bit of an exaggerated sigh. As I stepped closer to him, his heat was everywhere, his scent all soil and earth and life. Dammit. Finding a wolf mate was probably the smart thing to do. It would solve plenty of my problems. But … I couldn’t, and I didn’t really have the time right now to try to talk myself into it. After the battle at Kade’s home, Derek’s death, and the very real threat of a fae war … well, my priorities were elsewhere.
My thoughts were cut off by Kade touching my cheek. I held my breath, barely moving.
“Eyelash,” he murmured in that husky voice. As he pulled back from my face I saw a tiny eyelash clasped between his strong fingers.
“Make a wish.” He lifted it closer to my lips.
There was mirth dancing in his eyes, and I knew he was toying with me. But still … the king of bears made eyelash wishes and tended to roses. Crap. These training sessions were going to be the death of me. Maybe literally. We could not be together, our people would tear us apart, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t appreciating all the sexy that was Kade. I blew on the eyelash, sending it flying away. Kade didn’t move so I cleared my throat and stepped back a pace.
“Let’s do the mecca thing again,” I said, trying to defuse the tension.
Still wearing that slight grin, Kade nodded and stepped back, both of us trying to get distance from the other in hopes that it would smother this burning fire that had started between us.
Yeah, right!
We were down in the basement training center of the royal home, where I had fought Selene for the crown. The wolf council begrudgingly agreed to our training sessions, but only on certain terms, and the king coming to my territory was one of them. He didn’t seem to mind, and most of the time brought only Gerald and another of his guard with him. Today it was Chelle, a female bear, tall and statuesque with golden-colored hair and dark burning eyes. She did not like wolves, that much was clear, and if looks could kill … well, the wolves would be screwed, because the way Chelle was looking at me, Selene would soon be their queen.
Selene! Ugh. No time to think about the spare heir right now. She was evil, and if I died in the first twelve months of my reign, she would step in as queen. If I died after a year, then another Summit would be held
, as there were more shifter girls who would be of age. More queen heirs waiting in the wings.
“Focus, Ari.” Kade’s low voice knocked me out of my thoughts and I sucked in a deep breath, calling the mecca forward. It was everywhere, not just in the crystals or the vortex, it was life. I understood that now, I respected that. A flood of power coursed through me as I felt the mecca swelling in my veins to fill the very core of my being.
I’d been meditating a lot, working on centering and focusing my thoughts. This was part of training for all heirs, but now it was even more important.
“Now!” Kade said forcefully. He moved his body slightly, and I knew he was preparing to jump in and shield me if needed.
I aimed the energy at the tier of stacked cans we had in the corner of the room. This time, instead of throwing mecca, I just let it gently trickle out. Controlled it. It took every ounce of my focus to not let the power overwhelm me, but for the first time I seemed to be managing it. Instead of exploding in a mass, the cans tilted slightly, and then the top can toppled over, taking the rest of the stack with it. I gave a small yell of success, and then the headache hit me.
“You’re holding the energy, let it go,” Kade said, stepping into me again, scanning my face.
I couldn’t; the headache had my focus shot and my control was lost. Calling the mecca was much easier than letting it go back. The stabbing pain in my head was increasing and I was seconds from dropping to my knees when Kade placed a hand on the side of my face, covering me from chin to temple. He stroked my forehead a few times and the headache eased, although my brain remained a jumbled mess. To be fair, not all of that could be blamed on the mecca. When Kade was this close to me, all sensible thought took a vacation. God, why was he so attractive? And his scent – smell was everything to shifters, it either dissuaded or attracted us – and Kade’s scent was enough to have my wolf howling silently as need clenched my gut. I had never wanted someone so badly, and I had never wanted someone I couldn’t have.
