A Lost Paige (Hidden Kingdom Trilogy Book 2)

by L. Rose

  “He steers us wrong by fucking that piece of shit over there,” he screamed. “He’s not pack. He’s not wolf. Not even a fucking shifter.”

  The alpha woman shook her head. Fenris glared at the obvious disappointment in her eyes. “Times are changing. We need to keep up with them.”

  “We don’t and we won’t.” Fenris threw out a hand toward Jessup. “Take him down. We fight for the alpha position.”

  Nate took another step forward. “On behalf of Jessup Falk, I’ll fight for his right as alpha. I’ll also be completing the challenge, set for the full moon in a couple of days, tonight.”

  “No!” Paige cried out just as Fenris smiled wickedly.

  “Accepted.” Fenris laughed.

  Panic gripped my chest. I started forward but was grabbed quickly. I fought their hold, not even knowing who held me. All I could see was Nate stepping closer into the circle as he removed his T-shirt. “Nate, no, you can’t do this,” I told him, my throat thick with tension.

  “Paige, stop. He has to,” Thorn said into my ear.

  “No, he doesn’t.” I shook my head again and again. “No, I won’t allow it.”

  Fenris let out a belly laugh. “Hear that, mutt? She won’t allow it. You gonna stop to please your pussy?”

  “Shut the fuck up. We doing this or not?”

  “Not,” I yelled. They ignored me.

  Nate nodded, and I wanted to reach out to him to smack him upside the head or pick him up and run for the hills to protect him. I knew I couldn’t, and I hated it. Wolves were proud creatures who lived by their own set of rules. If I interfered, it could mean bad things for not only us, but Jessup, Gregory, and Jessup’s pack. I had to think about others rather than just me and my feelings. Still, knowing Nate was about to fight and could possibly be hurt, killed me inside. I gripped Thorn’s arms around my waist and whimpered.

  “He’ll be fine,” he whispered.

  “He’s strong,” Alex said quietly from our side. Even though he was trying to reassure me, Alex looked like he’d swallowed something foul. He disliked what was about to happen as much as I did. I took his hand in mine again and brought it up to hold it against my chest.

  “Skin or fur? I’ll let you pick since I’ll kill you in either form.” Fenris grinned evilly.

  “Skin,” Nate replied. “But if the shift comes over either of us, there won’t be any repercussions.”

  “Agreed,” Fenris answered, then charged Nate, who braced.

  Fenris hit Nate in the face so hard Nate’s head whipped to the side. I slapped a hand over my mouth to keep the scream building at bay, not wanting to distract him. Alex’s hand in mine squeezed harder, while Thorn held me tighter. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Asher step up to Alex and place his hand on his shoulder. To my surprise, Nate grinned, only it wasn’t a nice one. Fenris’s cocky smile disappeared when Nate slowly turned his head back to face him.

  Fenris went to hit him again, but Nate grabbed Fenris’s fist in one hand and used the other to punch him in the gut. Fenris stumbled back, barely catching himself from falling, and snarled at Nate. Fenris bounced from one foot to another, his hand cocked in front of him like some type of boxer. Using his fingers, he called Nate forward, only Nate didn’t move. He stood there and crossed his arms over his chest.

  “Fight,” Fenris roared.

  Nate raised a brow.

  “Fight me,” Fenris yelled.

  Nate relaxed his arms at his sides and took a step forward. Fenris charged again, jabbing his fist to the left, but Nate gracefully moved back. Fenris jabbed to the right, and Nate twirled out of the way.

  I wanted to race in there, grab Nate’s shoulders, and shake the shit out of him. He needed to end this fight before my nerves ate at my beating organ.

  Fenris swept out his leg, kicking Nate in the thigh before bouncing back. He spun back in, grabbed Nate on the back of the neck, and kneed him in the stomach before moving out of reach. Another smile splayed across Fenris’s face. He was sure of himself now that he’d gotten a couple of shots in.

  “Nate, stop dragging this out,” Asher called.

  Fenris’s smile vanished. He straightened, glancing from Asher to Nate. It was then Nate snapped out his leg, kicking Fenris in the chest, sending him flying backward and landing with a thud on the ground. Growling low, he rolled onto all fours and, still in human form, charged Nate.

  Nate braced again, and as soon as Fenris was close, Nate jumped, flipping in the air and landing on Fenris’s back. His knees dug into Fenris’s spine, his arm locking around Fenris’s neck, squeezing. Fenris dropped to the ground, skidding along the dirt, scraping his skin, which would heal easily.

  “Do you yield?” Nate offered, his voice rough and thick.

  “No,” Fenris rasped. He rolled, flipping Nate off, and jumped to his feet as Nate did. With a nod, two other shifters stepped up behind Nate and grabbed his arms.

  “Foul play,” I yelled. Dropping Alex’s hand, I forced Thorn’s arms off me and started toward them, ready to help.

  In seconds, the coward Fenris punched, kicked, and then extended his claws, slashing at Nate’s chest and stomach.

  “Paige,” Alex clipped in a vicious tone, one I hadn’t heard from him, so it had me looking back. “I have this,” he told me. His jaw clenched, his eyes glowed purple, and his hands and mouth moved. My clit pulsed, but I told it to get lost. I glanced back to Nate in time to see the shifters holding him stiffen.

  Their arms fell away. Fenris cursed them but realized something was happening when their eyes widened. They let out a howl of pain right before we all heard their spines snapping in two and they tumbled to the ground.

  Holy shit.

  Nate lifted his head as his chest rose and fell rapidly. He was bloody and sore, but the smart-ass prick winked at me before shifting his gaze to Alex. I turned, and I’d never seen Alex look so scary before. His pulsating power had his hair sticking up everywhere, swaying in the invisible breeze only around him. His body was tense, his hands fisted at his sides, and his eyes were glowing brighter. He nodded once at Nate. I didn’t catch what Nate did, but it had Alex relaxing, his power subsiding.

  A harsh snarl had me facing Nate again. He’d shifted to his wolf form. His jeans shredded, falling to the floor. Fenris followed and changed into his wolf. Where Nate was a dark brown, Fenris was a light amber color.

  They circled each other, growling. Fenris jumped forward, nipping at Nate, but Nate was too fast and bounced back, only to jump forward and snap his jaw at Fenris’s side. Fenris let out a scared noise and tumbled back, popping back up onto his paws. They circled each other again, snarling.

  Other wolves around the circle scraped with claws into the dirt, growling, wanting to join the fight, but stayed back.

  I caught the alpha female stepping up to Jessup’s side, and with the help of Gregory, who somehow made his way over, they helped him down from the pole. Were they readying him to escape if something happened?

  Fenris bound forward, snapping his teeth at Nate’s side. Nate shuffled quickly to the left, curling his head into Fenris and latching onto his ear, ripping it from his body. Fenris howled, leaving his neck unprotected. Nate clamped his massive jaw onto it and bit down. Fenris growled and whimpered, and when he rolled to the side, Nate held on, using his large paws to hold Fenris to the ground while he tore into Fenris’s neck, ripping fur, skin, and muscles out.

  As Fenris took his last breath, a howl started up around us.

  The noise cut off when Nate moved off Fenris’s dead body. He shifted back to his human body, crouching. When he straightened, naked, he used the back of his arm to wipe at his mouth. Not caring about his nudity, he turned around, gazing at each shifter.

  “Anyone else want to challenge me?”

  Not a sound was made.

  I heard Alex click his fingers, and the blood on Nate disappeared. There were still scrapes and bruises, which would heal, but he looked better. Nate was also dressed in jeans onc
e more. It seemed Alex was as jealous as I was, noticing the female shifters eyeing Nate. I liked I wasn’t the only one worrying or being possessive of the men. I’d gladly have Alex’s help, and I enjoyed, a lot, knowing there was something going on with the both of them. It made me hope all of my bonded mates would have the same type of connection with each other. I also had to admit, it turned me on and had me thinking I would very much like to see them together.

  I caught Nate smirk at Alex before he looked toward Jessup, who stood with the assistance of the female alpha and Gregory.

  “The pack is still yours,” he said.

  Jessup nodded. “The Falk pack appreciates the assistance. We’d also like to extend an offer to you to join our pack and become our beta.”

  My heart faltered.

  Would he accept?

  Did he miss being in a pack surrounded by his own kind?

  Hands on my shoulders had me jolting. Alex’s scent and heat touched me next as he molded his front to my back. Together, we stood there waiting for Nate’s reply. Both anxious.

  Nate glanced back to us, his eyes moved to Asher and even Thorn, then back to Alex and me. He faced Jessup again. “Thank you for the generous offer, but I already have my own pack.”

  My body relaxed into Alex, and I felt his muscles loosen as he slid his arms around my chest. He kissed the side of my head.

  Jessup smiled. “I can see that.”

  “Why don’t you all come in for a coffee?” the alpha female asked.

  Coffee? Right now? What I wanted was to take my mates back to the castle, yell at Nate a little, and then have them surround me in bed, so I knew they were okay. I wanted them, all of them, to rest with me. I hadn’t had them all in the same bed by myself. Usually it had been just Asher and Thorn together or by themselves. But I needed Alex and Nate to join us that night.

  “It would be so they could talk privately about things,” Alex said into my ear.

  Nate glanced to me. I nodded.

  “Lead the way,” Nate told her. We slowly followed Jessup and her up to the biggest cabin.

  “Please wait on the porch,” I said to the guards.

  They bowed, and one replied, “Yes, my queen.”

  When I walked in, with Alex at my side, the others were already seated around a living room, except for the alpha female. I could hear clattering in the kitchen. I pecked Alex on the cheek and made my way in there to help her.

  “Can I help?” I asked in the doorway.

  She glanced over her shoulder, her brows rising. “I didn’t think the queen would lower herself to—”

  “You don’t know this queen. I still pick up my own laundry.”

  She turned back around, but I didn’t miss her smile. “Amelie,” she offered.

  I walked over and helped with some mugs of coffee, since I knew how my guys took their drinks. “Hi, Amelie, I’m Paige.”

  “It would have been good to meet you properly under different circumstances.”

  “I agree, and I’m sorry for… your loss.” After all, Fenris was her son.

  She frowned. “I can’t say it was a loss.”

  Well, okay then. “Should we get these into the room?”

  “Yes. They’ll be waiting on us.”

  She was right. As we entered, the room was quiet. I squeezed through the gap between the couches that were in a L-shape looking toward the wall where a large TV was fixed above a fireplace. I put the tray down on the coffee table and then handed out the drinks to my men before taking my own and sitting between Asher and Nate. Thorn and Alex stood behind the couch we were on while Jessup, Gregory, and Amelie were opposite us on their own couch.

  The cabin felt warm and homey, especially with the knitted blankets flung over the back of each couch.

  “Do you have someone else who can step up as beta?” Nate asked. His leg bounced up and down. He seemed on edge, but I had a feeling it had to do with the overflowing adrenaline from the fight.

  “Yes, there are a few candidates.” Jessup glanced at Amelie. When she nodded, he looked back to Nate. “The former queen allowed us onto her property because she trusted us to keep an eye on the outer regions. It gave our pack something to do, a purpose. There are many packs that would step into the role quickly if they knew about this community. We want to make sure the Falk pack is imbedded at the queen’s side if the community grows.”

  Meaning, they wanted to stay in the position they were in and didn’t want me to allow other packs to take their role if more were to flock to our area.

  Why wasn’t he asking me, though? Why wasn’t he looking at me? Was it some wolf thing?

  “You said our queen had to prove herself in the role before you followed her. Has she? Would you be faithful to her and her own?” Asher asked. “We won’t risk our mate for anything.”

  Amelie stood. “With the changes she’s already made and assisting us because one of her own asked for help, it has proven Paige Alice is more queen than the one before. She is humble, smart, fierce, and a woman who would fight for not only hers but others to make sure everyone is treated the same. We would follow, stand by, protect, and risk our own lives to make sure she is safe.” She bowed. Jessup, with Gregory’s help, stood and bowed as well.

  “Thank you,” I said, my voice soft. My cheeks heated. They saw me in a light I would never see myself in. I appreciated their kind words. “I would love to have the Falk pack at my side.” Amelia and Jessup straightened, both smiling until I added, “However, I have a question.”

  They froze. “Yes?” Jessup said.

  “Will Gregory be safe here? Will the pack care you’re mated to a ghoul who’s a man?”

  Gregory’s eyes filled with tears. “Thank you for caring, my queen.”

  “I will always care about my people.” I smiled warmly.

  Jessup took Gregory’s hand. I looked to him as he said, “I’ll make sure Gregory is safe here. Fenris was the leader of the few who hated same-sex matings and other races mixing.”

  “With him gone, we’ll have things back in order,” Amelie said.

  Jessup nodded. “We will.”

  “My queen,” Gregory called. “I would still like to work in the castle, if you’ll allow it?”

  “Of course, Gregory. I’d be lost without you.” I smiled. While his grin was back, it was wobbly and soft.

  Nate suddenly stood. “Now that’s settled, we’re going,” he stated roughly.

  Jessup and Amelie shared a look, one full of knowing. Jessup chuckled. “Of course, I’m surprised you handled it this long.”

  “Handled what?” I asked, also standing.

  “Nothing,” Nate clipped.

  “Nate.” I glared. “I thought you’d be in a better mood since winning out there, but it doesn’t seem like it.” It was then I punched him in the stomach.

  “What the fuck?” he yelled.

  “That’s for scaring me, you asshole.”

  “Are they always like this?” I heard Jessup ask.

  “Yes,” Alex, Thorn, and Asher replied together.

  “I had it handled,” Nate seethed through clenched teeth in my face.

  “I know that now,” I yelled, “but I freaked out at the time. Do you know how hard it was to stand back and watch?”

  “Yes,” he hissed. “It’s about as hard as it is watching you risk your life.”

  I jerked my head back. All right, he had a point. “Hmm, well, okay. But tell me what you need to handle now.”

  Nate scrubbed a hand over his face while others laughed around us. Nate sighed. His hands landed on my arms, and I was pushed back into Asher. He then walked around the couch, got near Alex, bent and flung Alex over his shoulder and slapped his ass. Alex cried out in surprise.

  “Bring her,” Nate clipped.

  “What’s going on?” I demanded.

  “Wolves like to fuck after a fight,” Amelie stated with humor in her voice.

  My mouth dropped open. Nate glowered over at me. “You wanted to wa
tch, right?”

  I was sure the biggest smile I’d ever had covered my mouth. I jumped at Asher. Thankfully he caught me in bridal style. “Let’s go!”

  Alex didn’t complain as I raced through the woods back to the castle with him over my shoulder. Asher, with Paige in his arms, who giggled like a maniac, and Thorn, kept to my pace. Alex gripped my waist and held on. He didn’t say anything until we got close to the opened area.

  “You need to put me down.”

  “What the fuck for?” I demanded. I didn’t want him away from me; he was the only one I’d claimed, the only one I knew who was willing to let me fuck them the way I wanted—rough and hard—so I wasn’t letting him from my reach.

  He smacked my ass. “People will see. It’s bad enough the guards and wolves did. We can’t have the people know… know about, ah… you know.” I just knew he’d be blushing beet red.

  Was he worried about himself or me?

  “If you don’t—”

  “No, I don’t care, but we should put up a pretense—”

  “Alex,” Paige called. With his hands digging into my butt, Alex lifted himself enough to capture her gaze. “Fuck them,” she announced, and shit, I wanted to laugh.

  “But—”

  She shook her head. “I’m queen. I rule here, not them, and until that changes, I, as well as all of you, can do what we like when it comes to our relationships. Don’t hide your feelings for anyone. Please. If they don’t like it, they can leave.”

  “Okay,” Alex replied in a whisper. It was fucking sweet he’d been worried, but I didn’t give a shit what anyone thought, and neither did my wolf. If we wanted to take our mates in the middle of a field, we would.

  We ran out into the clearing. It was late, and only a few people were scattered around the area. They watched us until we disappeared through the castle gates. Some frowned, a lot smiled, and there was even a chuckle or two when they realized, from Paige waving, that there wasn’t anything wrong.

  Before we knew it, I had the door to Paige’s room open and was stepping through, allowing Alex to drop to his feet. He started to step back until I hauled him back close to me with a growl in the back of my throat.