Wolfish: Fateborne

by G. K. DeRosa

  A swell of hope skittered through my core, and I knew it belonged to that of my mate. She really believed I’d given up on us. Reaching over, I laced my fingers through Sierra’s. I was surprised she allowed it.

  Tyrien leapt up, flames burning across his irises as he regarded me. “This is ludicrous, Aristaeus. The Alpha Trials have always ended with a final battle. You cannot change the rules.”

  “Maybe I can’t, but I’m fairly certain the high council can.” Glancing at the first row of spectators, I slowly nodded. Lucien, Verros, the demon alpha, and Canyon’s father, Everest, stepped forward.

  Tugging on Sierra’s hand, I ticked my head at the circle of dragonfire. She splayed her fingers and whispered, “Expegnere.” The fire fizzled, the flames disappearing into the ether. I helped my mate down from the ring and joined the others who were convening on the platform.

  The Royal alpha led the way, dark circles rimming his eyes. A twinge of pain jabbed at my weary heart at the sight of him. He’d been devastated when I brought the news of Ransom’s death, but the fearsome Royal stalked up the platform and straight for my father. “I believe Aristaeus is right, Tyrien. It would be cruel to force your son to fight his fated mate and more importantly, it goes against everything we wolves have been taught.”

  The Demon alpha stepped beside him. “I agree with Lucien.”

  “As do I,” said the old alpha of the Court of Wolves.

  The commissioner’s face paled as he glanced back and forth between the high alphas.

  “Either way,” hissed Tyrien. “That’s three against three, as I imagine by their absence, you haven’t secured the approval of the other members?”

  I shook my head. “No, I haven’t, but you are forgetting one thing, Father.” I squeezed Sierra’s hand and pulled her forward. “Now that Sierra has a pack, she has every right to vote on all matters concerning our people.” I threw him a smug smile before turning to my mate. “What do you say, Alpha Sierra? Do you believe it’s fair according to pack law to force fated mates to combat to the death?”

  She whipped her head back and forth. “I do not.”

  “Well, Father, I believe you have your majority.”

  Crimson seeped up Tyrien’s face, a swell of fury racing through the pack link. He pushed his power through the connection, forcing his will on me. I slammed a wall up and glared down at my sire. “Your time is up, old man,” I hissed through clenched teeth, whispering in his ear.

  “This is quite unusual,” the commissioner began. I could feel the fear seeping from his pores as he glanced from the supreme alpha to the five of us. “How will we determine the winner?” he muttered.

  “I will forfeit my claim to the title without banishment,” I announced. “Sierra won the first round after all. And after her display today and everything the Mystics have suffered at the hand of the supreme alpha, I feel it is only right that she reclaim the role stolen by my father.”

  Another wave of gasps and murmurs of surprise filled the arena.

  “You are a fool, Aristeaus!” Tyrien’s wings snapped out, the onyx reptilian appendages blotting out the sun. “You will regret this. You all will! Giving the Mystics that sort of power will only bring down death and destruction upon all of us.”

  “Just shut up, Tyrien,” Sierra barked. “You’ve been lying to everyone for so long that you believe your own lies. The Mystics never deserved to be extinguished from existence. All the rumors about dark magic were lies created by you so that you could get your revenge against a woman who rejected you. My aunt didn’t want you so you killed my entire pack. We were never a threat.”

  The commissioner’s lips twisted into a frown, the pallor in his cheeks intensifying.

  “Lies!” he shouted. “They’re all lies.”

  “They’re not, actually.” Lucien waved a hand, and a man stood up in the audience and made his way down the steps.

  Aras. The warlock Sierra had nearly killed when we’d tried to rescue her mother.

  My mate’s eyes went wide as she watched the male cross the arena.

  What the hell was Lucien up to now?

  The warlock stood beside the Royal alpha, and I really looked at him for the first time since that day. He’d thinned out, his skin pale and face drawn, but there was something else. I sniffed the air, and unease churned my gut.

  “Come, Aras,” Lucien said and turned the warlock to face the crowd. “You see, this warlock has served the Royal pack for decades. He was a close confidant of my former mate, Sonia. He was forced into a difficult situation in loyalty to my departed mate and made a terrible decision which left him in a coma for over a month. He lost his memory, among other things.” Lucien glanced at Tyrien and smirked, showcasing pointy fangs. “But you see, with the help of a talented witch, we’ve been able to retrieve those memories.”

  “He’s a liar!” Tyrien shouted, pointing at Aras.

  “He hasn’t even said anything.” Sierra glared at my father as a growl echoed in her chest.

  Lucien placed his arm around the warlock’s shoulders. “Please, Aras, tell us everything you know.”

  My jaw nearly hit the floor as the male began to recount what Sonia and my father had plotted. It had been true; Tyrien had kidnapped Sierra’s mom to discover the truth about any surviving Mystics, namely Lily’s daughters.

  The entire audience remained in rapt silence as he detailed all the sordid details. As he spoke, Grayson moved closer to the platform, along with a few of my father’s guards. I searched the pack link for a few of my own wolves. Get ready.

  “All of this can be verified,” said Lucien once Aras had finished his speech.

  The hair on the back of my neck prickled and more wolves appeared, blocking the exits. Scanning the incoming invaders, I confirmed what I feared. More rogues. Likely hired by Tyrien as back up.

  The audience began to murmur and shift nervously as the wolves stalked closer. It was now or never. I marched to the edge of the platform and faced the crowd. “Is this the type of ruler you want, who eradicates an entire pack for the sake of vengeance?” I ticked my head at the lupine invaders creeping closer. “Who turns to outcasts to secure his reign of tyranny?”

  The commissioner leapt off stage and disappeared into the masses who’d begun spilling down the steps.

  “I ask you to fight with me now, to ensure a free existence for all the packs. Now is the time for you to stand, minor and Lunar packs together as one.” My words lingered in the air for a second before the arena exploded into chaos.

  Chapter Thirty

  Sierra

  * * *

  My heartbeats quickened as I watched Hunter speak to the crowd of wolves—his wolves. I’d always known my mate would make a great leader but seeing him speak like this only cemented what I’d known all along. Hunter would be the next supreme alpha. There was no doubt in my mind.

  And the emotion and passion with which he spoke… My heart staggered. Was he starting to feel something?

  The past few minutes had been nothing like what I’d imagined. I’d remained practically speechless as I watched the events unfold after our little tussle. Hunter hadn’t abandoned me like he’d sworn to do. He was fighting for me, for us.

  As I watched him, the imposing outline of his form, the determined set of his jaw, my heart was so full I was certain it would burst. I was so enthralled by my mate, I almost missed the arrival of the rogue wolves. At first, they kept their distance, eyes trained on the supreme alpha. But as Hunter’s words stirred the crowd, they began to close in.

  My gaze jerked to Connor and Braxton sitting in the front row beside Vander and Cass. The SIA agent was already on his feet, and he’d positioned my best friend behind him. She’d be safe, I told myself. Vander wouldn’t let anything happen to her. Reaching out through the pack link, I searched for my wolves.

  Get ready to fight.

  On it. Connor and Braxton’s replies came in unison.

  “Sierra, watch out!” Hunter’s cry tore me
from the mental conversation just as onyx wings blotted out the sky above.

  Tyrien pummeled into me, his hefty weight slamming me to the floor. I struggled beneath him as he lifted a razor-sharp talon to my neck.

  Hunter’s wolf let out a piercing howl, and my mate darted toward us.

  “Don’t make another move, son,” Tyrien growled, “or I’ll slice her pretty little head off.”

  “I’ll break your neck before you get a chance,” Hunter hissed. He loomed a few feet behind my head, but the storm of emotions that surged through the bond made it feel like he was inside me. The rage, anger, fury rushed my ribcage, battering the skeletal confines and it brought tears to my eyes.

  Oh my gods, his emotions were back! I wanted to shout and cry and run to him.

  A sharp burn at my throat reminded me of the alpha-hole pinning me to the ground. Tyrien dragged his claw across my neck, and I bit back the urge to scream. A trickle of warm blood dribbled down my collarbone.

  “Let her go, you bastard, or I’ll burn you and this entire arena to the ground.” A smoldering gold eclipsed Hunter’s pupils, irises and all. The mate mark, the one on his collar bone, identical to mine began to glow. Glimmering scales zipped over his arms and his body started to contort.

  Holy dragon babies!

  A colossal golden dragon appeared in the center of the arena, and cries rang out as people fled in all directions. Some joined the fight and others raced toward the exit, dragging small children. Dragon-Hunter opened his gigantic jaw, showcasing rows and rows of jagged teeth. He stomped closer, and a twinge of fear uncoiled in my gut.

  Hunter, you still in there? I tested our mental link.

  Yes, it’s still me.

  Thank the gods.

  The sting of Tyrien’s claw was nothing more than the buzz of an annoying fly now. I couldn’t take my eyes off the imposing dragon and more importantly, neither could the supreme alpha.

  Taking advantage of his distraction, I wriggled my hand free and splayed out my fingers. A jolt of energy shot from my palm and into Tyrien’s chest, sending the bastard flying across the arena. Dragon-Hunter lunged forward, catching his father in his gaping jaw.

  The remaining wolves were stunned, dozens of them frozen in place as they watched Tyrien dangling from the gigantic beast’s jaw.

  I could feel Hunter’s hesitation streaking through our bond as his jaw tightened around his father. A swirl of pain and anger rocketed through my insides.

  Tyrien swiveled his head toward me, and his lips curled into a scowl. “Don’t let the girl get away!” he called out to the rogue wolves amassed below.

  I felt it. The moment Hunter decided his father wasn’t worth saving, that there wasn’t an ounce of goodness left in the man.

  A few of the wolves turned tail and raced toward the exit but at least a dozen stalked closer. “Oh hell no, furry effers, today is not the day to mess with me!” Opening my palms, I called to the power expanding in my core.

  A sharp crack ricocheted through the chaos as the wolves charged. From the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of Tyrien hanging limp from the golden dragon’s maw. His body plummeted back to the earth and landed in a heap in the center of the arena. I was forced to refocus as a wave of violet power streaked from my palms. The dark energy crackled and spiderwebbed, shooting over the bodies of the remaining wolves.

  Cries and yelps exploded across the sprawling space, and then the entire arena went silent.

  “Look!” someone shouted.

  The fleeing crowd stopped and turned to the center of the arena where Tyrien’s crumpled body lay. Beside it stood my mate, apparently a dragon now. I stared up at the tremendous beast, and my heart swelled. Wolf or dragon my soul recognized its mate.

  Can you shift back? I shot through our mental connection. I think you’re freaking your people out.

  Right. He closed his eyes, and a swirl of golden mist crawled up the tree trunks that were his legs. It blanketed his body until only a shimmery fog remained. When the haze cleared, my mate stood naked above Tyrien’s motionless form.

  Tiny sparks emanated from the supreme alpha’s body, the brilliant blue and white energy coalescing into a cloud. It hovered over his lifeless figure and twisted to form the shape of a dragon with mighty wings. The spirit animal let out a roar as it climbed higher into the sky.

  Tilting my head back, I watched in amazement. All eyes followed the ghostly beast as it reached an apex and screeched into the still air. It circled back and descended, gaining speed as it hurtled toward Hunter.

  He tensed for only a second, before his expression softened in understanding. The dragon spirit crashed into Hunter’s chest and was consumed within his flesh. He jerked backward from the impact and his irises burned a deep golden, flames flickering in the dark depths.

  A gasp rolled through the remaining crowd and all the wolves, in lupine and human form, sank to the ground. “Long live Supreme Alpha, Aristaeus Silverstalker. Long live High Alpha Sierra Wildstone.” The chant repeated, reverberating across the echoey stadium, the sound vibrating deep in my bones.

  “Holy shift…” I muttered.

  Hunter curled his arm around my shoulders and drew me into his side. The thrill of the moment buzzed through my veins, electricity crackling in my core.

  I tilted my head up to my mate. “So I guess you’re the supreme alpha now?”

  “Looks that way.” He grinned down at me.

  I chewed on my lower lip as a knot of anxiety tied around my insides. Were his emotions back? Did he love me? Was the curse broken? A thousand questions rocketed through my mind, but I was too scared to voice them. Steeling my nerves, I uttered, “How do you feel?”

  “Let’s talk about it when we get home.”

  The swell of hope deflated, but I gave him my best smile anyway. I knew he was feeling something. It was rushing through our bond, but it was too much of a jumble to decipher. Between his and mine, I couldn’t tell what was what.

  The Alpha Trials were over. After six weeks of hell, I’d won. I was the new high alpha and Hunter was the supreme alpha of all the shifters of Azar. Yikes. I couldn’t even wrap my head around it.

  Tyrien was dead. Dead.

  I inched closer to his corpse and toed at his side. His neck was twisted at an odd angle and vacant eyes stared toward the never-ending sky. I’d wanted to kill this man for all the pain he’d caused me and my family, but in the end, there was no one he’d hurt more than his own son. It was only right that he delivered the final blow.

  “And you didn’t need his death on your conscience,” Hunter whispered. “It was my responsibility to keep you safe.”

  Was? Panic surged through me, wrapping icy hands around my heart. I opened my mouth but was cut off when Vander bounded toward us, followed by Cass, Braxton, and Connor.

  Vander smacked Hunter on the shoulder, shaking his head. “So a dragon, huh?”

  He shrugged. “Guess so.”

  “Everyone okay?” Cass asked, her scrutinizing eye scanning over both of us. She was in full-on healer mode again.

  “Just a few cuts and bruises but nothing to worry about, doc.” I shot her a wink, and she pulled me into a hug. The boys moved in next. They had their fair share of scrapes from fighting the rogues, but like me, nothing serious.

  “I can’t believe you shifted into a freakin’ dragon.” Brax eyed Hunter, brows nearly reaching his forehead. “How the hell did you do that?”

  His gaze turned to me, fire burning in his irises. “I think it was Sierra.”

  “What?” I blurted.

  “I could feel your power rushing through our bond, your rage, your passion and it ignited something inside me.”

  “Wait a second,” Cass interjected, “Are you saying your emotions are back?”

  Hunter glanced from me back to the others. “I think so.”

  Cass let out a whoop, grabbed my hands and jumped up and down. “Halla-freakin-lujah!”

  I couldn’t help a smile from pullin
g at my lips, but I didn’t feel like celebrating just yet. There was still something bothering Hunter, and until we’d talked in private, nothing felt truly settled.

  A growl broke the happy moment, and I whipped my head to the approaching wolf. Grayson limped toward us in lupine form, the former supreme alpha’s trusted guard eyeing Hunter. The creature’s eyes glazed over, and I knew Hunter was speaking through the pack link. I wanted to eavesdrop but decided against it.

  A moment later, Hunter nodded and the wolf skulked toward Tyrien’s body. He lowered himself to the ground and lay his head across the ex-alpha’s torso. Letting out a whimper, he remained there.

  A hint of sadness flared, something I never thought I’d feel for the bastard alpha. It intensified the longer we watched the old wolf with his former master. It took me a second to realize the pain was coming from my mate and from Grayson himself.

  Now that Hunter was supreme alpha would the pack link become even stronger? I wasn’t sure I wanted unfettered access to so many shifters’ thoughts and emotions. I tossed the notion to the far corners of my mind for now. I still had no idea what the future held for Hunter and me. What if his emotions came back, but his love for me never surfaced?

  Hunter’s fingers laced through mine. “Let’s get out of here.” Before turning toward the exit, he pivoted back toward his father’s body. “Grayson, see to it that Tyrien’s body is sent to the appropriate place for burial.”

  The old wolf dipped his head, keeping his gaze lowered.

  “Yes, please, let’s go,” said Cass. “If I ever have to step inside this arena again, it’ll be too soon.”

  “Amen, witchy sister.” I reached out my free hand to my best friend.

  The six of us marched through the stone archway of the dreaded arena, and I never looked back.

  Chapter Thirty-One