Battle for a Mate’s Heart
Written by Raven Darkwing
Published by
Darkwing Publications
PO Box 307
Fox River Grove, IL 60021
http://www.darkwingpublications.com/
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 actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Battle for a Mate’s Heart
Book 2 of the Guardian Pack Series
Copyright © 2018 by Raven Darkwing
Cover Design and Formatting by Laura Confiado
Edited by LnJs Editing
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without the written permission of the Publisher, except where permitted by law. To request permission and all other inquiries, contact Darkwing Publications, PO Box 307, Fox River Grove, IL 60021, USA
http://www.darkwingpublications.com/
ISBN: 978-0-9964880-1-3
Printed in the United States of America
First Edition
July 2018
eBook edition available
To all who took the time to review the Alpha’s Promise and encouraged me to continue.
It has been fifty years since the Great War between the paranormals and the human race. A time when sanctuary packs like the Windy River Pack would seem to be unnecessary but appear to be needed more now than ever. As Alpha Grant and his mate Ricky try to figure out what Alpha Clifton is after, a rescue mission to save one of their own ends up bringing new members to the pack.
Charlie Braydon is a hybrid-wolf. His father was a powerful magi, and his mother was a wolf shifter. He was shunned by both the magi and wolves and had been sold to Alpha Clifton by his coven. Kept in seclusion and forced to use his ability to read minds, he has all but given up. He is rescued, but without his magical pendant to protect him, his empathic ability is about to drive him insane. Until he meets his mate.
Travis ‘Sparky’ Malone had been kicked out from his pack at a young age. Escaping an abusive ex-lover, he found his place with the Windy River Pack. He swore he’d never have anything to do with magic or allow anyone to control him again. In walks his mate, a magic wielder and one who demands his obedience.
Will Charlie and Sparky figure out their complicated relationship or will old foes take them out before they can even begin?
Contents
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 1
It was cold and dark. Charlie Braydon gazed wearily around the cell that had been his home for months. He had no idea how long exactly, and to be honest, he no longer cared. He was just glad to have the isolation.
The voices in his mind were finally quiet. Yet he knew it wouldn’t last for long. He no longer had the magic amulet given to him by his mother, nor was he able to escape to his wolf form, when the voices became too much for him to bear. He didn’t have that luxury, thanks to Alpha Clifton.
He thought he would be safe in the Windy River Pack; and for a time, he had allowed himself to believe he could live a somewhat normal life. Working on the Sanders farm had been hard, but he didn’t mind.
The Sanders had been a nice family and didn’t pry when he preferred to be alone. He never had to reveal that he was a hybrid among the pack. His father had been a powerful magi; and his mother a wolf shifter.
While he’d been accepted by the Windy River Pack, the same wasn’t true in his birth coven. If his half-brother Artemus hadn’t intervened and gotten him away, he doubted he would have survived. Not only had his father broken a coven law when he mated with a shifter, but even worse, they had produced him.
Of course, the fact he was a natural magi, one whose talent was not tied to a magical spell, made him a special target. Only those who were pure of blood were supposed to manifest what was seen as a direct gift from the gods. He was an anomaly, an aberration, and to most, an abomination who should have been killed at birth. Yet the same gift that condemned him, was also the only reason the High Priest of their coven had allowed him to live. Charlie though, had always seen it as more as a curse.
The sound of a key in the door interrupted his thoughts. His hand automatically went to the silver collar that encircled his neck, while his eyes looked toward the ceiling where the ever- present security camera watched his every move. He was never alone, not in body or mind since he’d been imprisoned.
Even now he could hear a faint whispering in his mind. Charlie ran a shaky hand through his too- long, black hair. That alone spoke of the amount of time he’d been in captivity. He normally wore his hair short on the sides, with just enough on the top for him to run his hands through it—a nervous habit he’d had since a small child.
A voice he’d come to fear filled the room, “Time to perform freak. Today we have a special for you. You’ll tell me what I want to know, and then maybe I’ll tell Sal to take it easy on you next time he comes for a visit.” Charlie shivered unconsciously, as Alpha Clifton’s voice filled the room with a feeling of pure evil. He never was allowed close enough to the alpha to actually see into his mind, and he never wanted to. Just the sound of the shifter’s voice caused him to reach for his pendant, but of course, it was no longer around his neck.
The door opened to reveal Sal, his jailer, and tormentor. Charlie couldn’t help but back up from the shifter. Already he could feel the sickness within the mind of the man. He fought against the images, always violent, always—a harsh slap to his face brought him from the depths of depravity, only to stare directly into the cold blue eyes that followed him into his nightmares. “Snap out of it Chuckie, we can have fun later, but first the boss wants you to tell us a little about our new friend here.” Charlie watched as Sal pulled a young she-wolf forward.
The first thing he noticed was the way the honey- brown eyes glowed with an inner fire. Although she stood only slightly shorter than him, he could already sense she was not someone to mess with. She calmly continued to walk toward him, until she was standing only a hairbreadth from his chest.
The she-wolf glanced over her shoulder at Sal, “This is the person who will be interrogating me? Surely you could find someone who at least looked the part.” Her voice was filled with contempt, and yet Charlie already sensed her words and actions were a facade.
“Behave Sammy girl,” Alpha Clifton’s voice filled the room once more, “the freak is my own personal lie detector. You understand that I have to be careful, especially now.” The growl at the end of the words caused Charlie to look up. Something had happened to upset the alpha. He glanced at the she-wolf once more.
“What I understand is that I put my life on the line to protect you from making the biggest mistake of your life, and this is what I get. If it weren’t for me, you would have been attached to that weak human, a male no less,” she sneered.
“That may be true and if so, I’ll compensate you for this inconvenience. For now, you will submit to this test of your loyalty or you can join your friend Radar in the pit.”
It was a direct order from the alpha, and one the she-wolf could not ignore. Charlie watched as Sammy tilted her head in submission. Then she turned to him and shrugged; as if her life didn’t depend on the answers he would be forced to give. “Fine, I have nothing to hide. But you owe me something pretty special, or you can kiss any thoughts of a true heir goodbye,” Sammy’s voice dripped with disdain.
Charlie’s hand once again touched the collar around his neck. If he refused to answer, the collar would be activated and cause him unimaginable pain. If he lied, the same thing happened. Just the brief feelings he had received from the she-wolf was enough to make him feel sad. She was putting on a good show, but underneath the facade was the truth—a truth that would end up with her death.
“All right, enough of this. Charlie, this she-wolf says she was not a spy for the Windy River Pack. Tell me if she helped Alpha Grant steal my mate. I need to know her intentions,” the alpha ordered.
Charlie sighed and reached out to touch the young woman’s shoulder and closed his eyes. But with Sal standing so close, all he could hear was the thoughts of the evil shifter. He opened his eyes and looked directly at the camera. “You know I can’t get a true reading with Sal in the room,” he glared at the Hannibal wannabe, “all I can hear is him.”
Sal moved a step forward but stopped, when Alpha Clifton’s voice filled the room once more. “Later my friend; leave the room until I tell you to return.” Charlie watched with trepidation as the shifter’s cold blue eyes nailed him.
There would be retribution when Sal returned. The sound of the lock being engaged echoed in the now quiet room. Sammy hadn’t moved and still appeared to be outwardly calm, but as the emotions and thoughts of Sal grew fainter, the she-wolf’s true emotions were becoming clear.
Charlie closed his eyes, and once again lightly touched her shoulder. “I wish I could help you, but I’m powerless. If I lie, he’ll know.”
A soft voice answered, “Then don’t lie, just don’t tell the whole truth and I’ll do the rest.”
Charlie opened his eyes briefly and blinked. The she-wolf still stood in front of him, a haughty look on her face. How was she able to maintain such composure? Most who felt him in their mind tried to keep him from getting to their secrets, and few ever bothered to converse with him. It was often painful not only for the person, but also for Charlie.
Yet he felt her opening up to him, letting him inside where he could see not only her past, but could also sense she was important to the future. The question was, could he do as she asked? He had never tried it before but maybe this time… “I see no connection to the Windy River Pack’s alpha in her mind. Her feelings for you are honest.” Charlie held his breath, but there was no pain.
“I told you, now get me away from this freak,” Sammy pushed Charlie away from her and turned to glare at the camera.
There was a long moment of silence before the alpha responded, “First, I have a question for Charlie here. Normally, this takes longer and causes the person you’re reading at least some discomfort. Why was this so easy?”
Charlie could see the slight tensing of the she-wolf’s shoulders. His next answer had to be good, or it could mean her death. Something inside of him warned him that would be a huge mistake. He took a deep breath and shrugged, “She didn’t hide from me. Her evil also doesn’t shout at me like Sal’s does. It was easier to read her. Her intent is to get closer to you and be accepted as your consort.”
Sammy laughed, “Why would I when I have nothing to hide. I’ve told you my intentions, Alpha Clifton. If you’re not interested, then fine. But know this; I’m not going back to the hole in the wall town of Willow Creek where this body will go to waste.” Charlie had to agree, while he preferred men, Sammy was beautiful with her perfectly shaped body and long reddish-brown hair. He could imagine that she could have her pick of men.
“Fine, I believe you, baby. Since you don’t seem to overwhelm our lie detector, I think you should stay while he does his thing with our next guest,” there was a pause while Alpha Clifton spoke to someone in the room, “I want you to stay with Charlie while he does a reading on Radar.”
Charlie saw an evil smile form on Sammy’s face as she replied, “My pleasure, Alpha Clifton.” While she was putting on a good front, he could tell the idea of not being able to help Radar was going to be hard for her. Clearly, the alpha wanted one final test of her loyalty.
“I won’t be able to protect your friend, I’m sorry,” Charlie whispered in her mind. He couldn’t help the shame that washed over him. Of all the things that had been done to him, this was the hardest—hurting good honest people.
It was one of the reasons he saw his gift as a curse, rather than a blessing. There would always be those who would try to ensnare him to use it just as the alpha was doing. It had happened before in his birth coven. As long as he lived, he would be a danger to others.
“Do what you have to do Charlie, Radar will understand. He’s a special enforcer who knew what he signed up for when he and his friends took on the mission to save Alpha Grant’s Semme’ mate,” Sammy’s thoughts interrupted him.
Charlie glanced up and saw that she looked bored on the outside, even though he could feel her emotions boiling under the surface. She had a sharp mind and the heart of a warrior.
Charlie looked up at the camera before he moved to take a seat on the cot. He lowered his head and closed his eyes in defeat. “You realize once I probe Radar, the alpha will want me to get information from him; information that might cause Alpha Grant problems. Even if I could continue to tell some half- truths, Radar will likely be killed once they feel they have no further use for him,” the half-breed shifter projected to the she-wolf.
He watched as Sammy turned and spoke toward the camera. “How much longer do I have to stand here with this freak, Alpha? Seriously, you and I could be doing something much more,” she paused as she ran a finger between her breasts, “interesting.”
Meanwhile, the crafty woman continued her conversation with Charlie, “Radar is already weak from his wound. The bastards wouldn’t let him shift to heal. My guess is, it won’t take much for him to pass out—especially if I help him out a bit. After all, I can be very impatient when I have certain ‘needs’ that luckily our alpha likes to fulfill.”
“Biff is bringing him now, cupcake,” Alpha Clifton chuckled. As he finished speaking the door to Charlie’s cell began to open. Sammy looked at Charlie and winked before she turned to face Biff and his prisoner.
“Showtime, Charlie,” Sammy’s voice whispered in his mind. Charlie just hoped things worked out the way the she-wolf planned. Otherwise, they all could end up in the pits or worse.
Chapter 2
Sparky stood outside the school waiting for Sandy to finish. It was his turn to take his young charge home. It had been decided that he and Tank would provide protection for the young wolf. He had to admit that Sandy was kind of growing on him. While he still felt a little uncomfortable around his older brother Ricky, the kid was certainly a breath of fresh air. That is when the pup took a breath.
Christmas had been a subdued affair; because even though Shadow had managed to pick up a lead on a possible location for Radar and Sammy, by the time Blaze and his task force had arrived, the facility had been vacant. The only bright part had been Sandy’s reaction when he found presents under the tree for him.
Apparently, the young omega had never celebrated the holiday while in the care of the now defunct Willow Creek Pack. If he hadn’t known better, he would have thought the pup had ingested a full six- pack of some energy drink before he tore into the brightly colored packages.
He smiled when he remembered the reaction he received when he gave the pup a matching T-shirt to his that said, “Closets are for clothes…really fabulous clothes”. Of course, Sandy
didn’t understand the laughter when they both posed with their matching shirts on, and the omega remarked, “My closet is really full of cool clothes now!”
Sparky pulled the zipper on his deep- purple parka, with lighter purple fur trimming higher. January winds in the mountains could be brutal and today was no exception. He couldn’t wait to get back to the pack house, and maybe talk Meg the cook, into making them some hot chocolate with extra marshmallows.
It was one of the good memories he had of his mother. She always had a cup waiting for him when he came home from school on a cold winter day. Of course, that was before she found out her son wasn’t interested in girls.
“Hi, Sparky,” Sandy’s voice pulled the shifter from his unpleasant train of thought. He watched as the young shifter slung his backpack over his shoulder. In the past, the pup would be already rattling off all the things he’d done in school, but lately, he had been subdued.
As the kid walked quietly toward Sparky’s truck, the mechanic looked back towards the school for a moment before he got into the vehicle. Something had been bothering the young wolf for a few days now, but when Sparky tried to find out what it was; Sandy simply shrugged and ignored him.
Alpha Grant had talked to him earlier, concerned at the too quiet omega. Neither the alpha nor his mate Ricky had any idea what was bothering his young charge. Tank had spoken to the headmaster and Sandy’s teacher, but they also had no clue. They had agreed to keep a closer eye on the young wolf and report if anyone was bothering him. Sparky started the engine and turned up the heat before he slowly pulled out onto the road. “We’re supposed to get more snow tonight. Who knows, maybe we’ll get enough that you won’t have to go to school tomorrow.”
Sandy shrugged, “Okay.”
“Kid, you know that snow days are just the best, right?” Sparky continued.
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