Title Page
Copyright and Legal information
Copyright © Rachel M Raithby
Publish date : 29th May 2020
All rights reserved.
Cover & Interior Images by Rob Smith
Formatting by Kat Smith
At
CreationInspire
Editing by
Hot Tree Editing
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
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 the prior written permission of the copyright owners.
Other Titles
THE NEW DAWN NOVELS
(YA Fantasy)
Winter Wolf
Wolf Dancer
Wolf Sight
Lost Wolf
Wolf Clash
Wolf Queen
THE DEADWOOD HUNTER SERIES
(Adult PNR)
Lexia
Whispers of Darkness
Holocaust
Betrayal
Surrender
STANDALONE
ADULT NOVELLAS
(Fantasy)
The Beast Within (Woodland Creek)
Deaths Echo (The Complex)
ALBANY NIGHTINGALE DUET
(High-School Bully Romance)
The Destruction of Rose
The Resurrection of Us
Dedication
For anyone that’s defied fate.
I like rebels.
Reader Group & Newsletter
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Contents
Copyright and Legal information
Other Titles
Dedication
Reader Group & Newsletter
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
Chapter 55
Chapter 56
Chapter 57
Chapter 58
Chapter 59
Chapter 60
Chapter 61
Chapter 62
Chapter 63
Epilogue
Acknowledgements
Prologue
Katalina
As she dashed through the trees, wind rippled through her fur as Katalina weaved through Dark Shadow’s land, chased by her heavy thoughts. Leaving the inner circle behind, she entered the wilder outer edges of their territory, pushing herself faster while her muscles screamed in protest. The threat of war loomed high on the horizon, the tension within both packs palpable within the air, and as Katalina flew across the ground, she knew no amount of running would bring her comfort or change the inevitable.
Their enemy was coming, and when they hit, death would follow.
Lifting her head, she caught a scent on the breeze and slid to a stop. The scent shouldn’t have been so far into Dark Shadow territory in the dead of night.
Anna?
Anna stared vacantly ahead, her red silk nightdress billowing in the breeze. Goose bumps covered her skin as her long ruby hair whipped across her face. Katalina approached with care, her steps silent, her lithe body low to the ground.
Blood.
A whine left her throat as she nuzzled at Anna’s torn feet, licking at the wounds.
Shifting, Katalina then took hold of Anna’s shoulders, gripping her firmly. “Anna? Anna, you’re hurt.”
“I’m searching,” she whispered hauntingly.
“For what?” Cage would go berserk if he discovered his mate freezing and injured in the forest. Cage and Anna’s mating had stopped Anna’s gift from taking hold of her in such a way, but it seemed fate wouldn’t go unheard.
Gaze snapping to Katalina’s, Anna’s green eyes cleared. They were intense and wild as she rasped, “For you.”
Her words ran like ice over Katalina’s skin, lodging like a dagger into her heart. “Let’s get you home before you freeze to death,” Katalina answered shakily. The dread she’d been outrunning wrapped tightly around her chest. She was already struggling to sleep, and Katalina wasn’t sure she wanted to hear what Anna had to say.
“No! Cage blocks my path, and I must see.” With eyes aglow with otherworldly power, Anna reached forward and took hold of Katalina’s head, digging her fingers painfully into her temple. “Death comes. It beats its war drum, thirsty for blood. Yours will spill before this is done, crimson across the snow. For he fears you. He wants you, and when you fall, so shall those you love.”
Anna’s words echoed with power and promise, and the reality Katalina didn’t want to face rose terrifying and deadly above her. “No, no, please… no.” Tears filled her eyes as Katalina begged, “Tell me how to fix it. Please, just give me something.”
“I hear your cries. I hear the fury of two alpha wolves, and I see your blood spray across the ground. I see it over and over, Katalina. And when I look for an answer, I see no images, no words, only a knowing—a feeling in my chest, in my heart. You must remember where you come from. It’s where your true strength lies. And if the packs are to remain whole, you must survive.”
“What does that even mean, Anna?” Katalina’s voice rose, desperation and fear colliding together. She didn’t want to die, but worse than that was knowing her death would leave devastation in its wake. “Remember where I come from?” She laughed bitterly. “How does coming from the human world help end this war?”
Anna’s face crumpled, all the energy seeming to drain out of her. “I’m sorry. I don’t have more.”
“How much time, Anna?” How much time do I have left to live?
Anna swayed on her feet, her words a pained whisper, “The snow is thick, settled… not long, Kat.”
As Anna’s knees gave out, Katalina caught her. She lifted Anna into her arms, her instincts to protect drowning out the terror trying to take up residence
permanently inside of her. “I’m taking you home. Cage is probably out of his mind by now.”
“He’s on nights. I was sleeping at Jackson’s,” she explained, her green eyes dull with fatigue.
Katalina shook her head. “How’d you make it past the guards unseen?”
“I’m psychic,” Anna answered simply.
“I didn’t think your powers could control you in such a way anymore?” If Anna was losing herself to her sight again, Cage wouldn’t survive.
“I let it,” she whispered. “I asked Cage to let go of his control so I could see. I needed to see, Kat.”
Meeting her gaze, Katalina made sure her next words were firm. “No more risking yourself for me. This is my fate, and I’ll work it out on my own.”
“He’s coming for you, Kat, not the packs. He wants you.”
Pursing her lips, Katalina let Anna’s words sink in. She’d always known deep down the war was about her and her ability to join two packs together.
“Come on.” Katalina started toward River Run. “You must be freezing. Maybe next time, the powers that be should have the foresight to remember a coat and shoes.”
Anna laughed lightly. “Do you think maybe we could keep this between you and me and not tell Cage? He’s going to sulk for a week if he sees the cuts on my feet.”
“There’s no way Cage isn’t scenting the blood on you, and last I knew, you’ve not developed the ability to heal like a wolf.”
“It would be handy,” Anna muttered. “Then I wouldn’t have to feel so silly with you carrying me in my nightdress through the forest.”
“Hey, at least you have clothes. I’m the one who’s got to turn up naked at her old man’s house.”
Anna giggled. “Wolves are used to nakedness.”
“Grew up human, remember.”
Her gaze darkened again. “How will that help us, Kat?”
She said the question more to herself than Katalina, but Katalina still answered, “I don’t know. I guess my humanity brought an end to the war between Dark Shadow and River Run, so maybe it will end another. Let’s hope it does anyway, because I’d quite like to live.”
“Me too,” Anna mumbled, her gaze going to Jackson’s house as they stepped from the cover of the trees. “It isn't fair to be given happily ever after and then have it taken away. I’ve suffered enough. We’ve all suffered enough.”
The pair of them studied the house as the front door opened, and Cage dashed out.
“No one can know,” Anna murmured quickly. “This fate, it is ours to bear.”
“I know,” Katalina whispered. “They must have hope, to take it away, would be a fate worse than death.”
“Anna!” Cage’s voice was half growl, half cry.
“You’re in trouble,” Katalina teased, trying her best to shake the terror from her tone. “She’s all right. Just a few cuts on her feet,” she continued louder as Cage raced toward them.
He took Anna from her arms seconds later, his gaze seeming to check every inch of his mate for more injuries. “I’m never letting you out of my sight again. I knew this would happen. I knew if I let go, it would take you from me.”
After shifting, Katalina padded alongside the couple as they argued quietly, their fear and frustration evident in every syllable.
“I wasn’t taken, Cage. I’m right here.”
“Don’t try to soothe me with your words. I’m not letting you go,” Cage grumbled.
“Good. I never want you to, but I also don’t want to be locked in a gilded cage. My sight is a part of me, and you’re supposed to love all of me.”
Cage’s steps faltered. “Of course, I do. It’s just… I hate that you can go places I can't. Where I can’t protect you.”
“But you do, Cage. My love for you keeps me anchored in this world. No matter how far I fall into a vision, you will always be able to reach me.”
“I hope you’re right,” he whispered, fear in his tone.
“Before we were mates, Cage. Before you didn't live inside my soul, it was so hard to remember who I was, to not become consumed by the different futures flashing before me, but it’s different now. Please trust I'm strong enough to come back.”
Smiling, the wolf faded from his eyes as he hugged her closer to his chest. “You're the strongest person I know,” he whispered. “Claws are nothing compared to the burden of fate.”
Katalina trotted ahead and away from a conversation that was weighing down her already heavy heart. Katalina could accept her burden, but it wasn’t fair that Anna had to carry it too. As she passed Jackson, Katalina butted his leg and then entered the house. Once inside, she shifted and retrieved the clothes she kept there for such occasions. Jackson, Cage, and Anna entered as she finished pulling on her sweater.
“So?” Jackson and Cage snapped together.
Katalina withheld her smile. “So, we’d best clean and bandage Anna’s feet.”
They answered with the annoyed growls of their wolves but proceeded to follow Katalina’s suggestion. Which she’d been counting on because the last conversation Katalina wanted to have tonight was about her significance in the impending war.
“I’ll get the first aid kit,” Jackson offered as Cage seated Anna on a kitchen chair.
“Jesus, Anna, how far did you walk?” Cage gasped, as he inspected her feet.
“Not far,” Anna lied.
“She was deep into Dark Shadow. I was out for a run,” Katalina explained.
“Alone?” Jackson questioned, passing the kit to Cage as he stared Katalina down.
“Bass is on patrol and I couldn’t sleep.” Had Bass been there, sleep would have still evaded her, but Jackson didn’t need to know that.
“You still shouldn’t be alone. Didn’t Bass leave you with a guard?” Jackson asked.
Katalina smiled. “Maybe, and maybe I don’t need a guard.” The only bit of enjoyment she’d had tonight was sneaking out undetected.
Cage muttered under his breath as Anna laughed softly.
“Katalina!” Jackson barked. “We’re on high alert. Now is not the time for evading your guard detail and taking a midnight stroll.”
“I’m sorry. Shall I get into the cage with Anna? Will that make you all happy?” Sarcasm dripped off every word, her arms crossing.
Cage looked up from his task. “She has a point, even if I don’t like it.”
Anna patted him on the head with a smile. “I knew you’d come around.”
“I might not be throwing you behind bars, but I’m also not letting the powers that be have full access again.” Cage glared.
“Either way, I need to let Bass know you’re here,” Jackson said.
“Oh no, you don’t,” Katalina warned.
Bass was suffocating her with his increased protection. After the gun shooting, which nearly killed Logan, he’d deemed both the human world and the shifter world unsafe and increased her protection. She’d gone from having Nico as her constant shadow to a whole group.
“I have to,” Jackson argued, reaching for his phone.
To Jackson’s surprise, Katalina snatched it from his hand and held it hostage behind her back. “Come on, Dad,” she pleaded. “I can’t breathe as it is. He’ll only worry unnecessarily if you call him now. I was within the patrolled borders. I was safe.”
“Don’t use the dad card on me, Kat. It’s not fair.”
“Why? You’re my father. Why shouldn’t I get to use the dad card?” He melted as Katalina knew he would. The truth was, Jackson was her dad, not just biologically but in all ways. Their bond had deepened, and it was both a strange and lovely thing.
“Fine, but I’m escorting you home myself.” His words might have been gruff, but his gaze was soft as he studied his daughter.
Smug, Katalina smiled. “Thought you needed permission to enter our inner lands?” She raised a brow teasingly.
Jackson crossed his arms. “If you can break the rules, so can I. Besides, you’re not the only one who can evade guards.�
�
“You two are as bad as each other,” Cage retorted, laughing as he glanced between the two. “Matching evil grins and all.”
“Are you all good here?” Jackson asked, ignoring his comment.
“Yep. Nearly finished wrapping her foot. Then I’ll help her to bed and retake my post.”
Jackson waved him off. “Luke’s already taken over. Stay with Anna upstairs. I’ll be back soon to keep watch.”
“Thanks, Jackson. And Kat, thanks for bringing her home.”
Katalina shrugged. “It was kinda my fault she was out there to begin with. You’d think the almighty powers would learn to pick up a phone.”
Anna giggled, the effects of the vision all but gone. “Night, Kat.”
Cupping Anna’s cheek, Katalina met her gaze. “No more midnight walks, okay? I’ll take it from here.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Jackson rumbled. “You still haven’t told us what Anna learned.”
Turning away, Katalina headed for the door. “Not everything is meant for your ears, Jackson.”
“Oh, I’m back to Jackson, am I?”
Her grin widened. “Come along, old man.”
Ignoring his insistent arguing, Katalina shifted, allowing her clothes to disintegrate in the air—she’d get more—sometimes she’d learned it was easier to shift and ignore confrontation altogether. After all, she couldn’t speak if she was a wolf.
And no amount of conversation was going to change reality. Anna had foretold her doom, and there was no escaping her fate.
They were at war. At the brink of no return, and sooner or later, Katalina was going to have to make a choice.
Human or wolf?
Fight or die?
And her choice, it didn’t affect just her. For if she fell, so did the packs.
Chapter 1
Eva
Eva pounded down the road, trees blurring as she ran. Sweat coated her skin, her breath a heavy rasp as it rushed in and out of her lungs. With each step, Eva’s muscles screamed in protest, her mind becoming consumed with the effort to keep one foot in front of the other. Every day she jogged the route from her motel to the cult her little brother, Zac, had joined, and every day she chased to the point of complete exhaustion—for that one moment of peace when she was nothing but strained muscles and fiery breath.
Wolf Queen (A New Dawn Novel Book 6) Page 1
