by P. Jameson
“Alpha, I must speak to you immediately.” The voice on the other side belonged to an elder. An elder Jax wouldn’t dare ignore.
Besh said silent thank-yous to whoever listened from the stratosphere.
Jax growled, and she felt cold air on her hindquarters as he backed away. “Get up.”
She obeyed, working to steady the shaking that resulted from the adrenaline. The alpha pulled his pants back into place, tucking his still hard shaft in the waistband. Besh clenched her teeth against a shudder.
“Fix your robe,” he hissed.
Quickly, she pulled the thin fabric together, tightening the belt.
Jax stomped to the door, leaving Besh in the kitchen trying to catch her breath.
“Elder,” he said through a barely restrained snarl. “Do you have news?”
“May I come inside?”
“If it will hurry things along.”
Besh heard the door shut and footsteps, and then the only elder she trusted was facing her in the kitchen.
She was short and stout and hardly looked older than forty-five, but she’d been around for nearly a hundred years. And might be around a hundred more. Her dark hair was peppered with streaks of silver and cut in a short pixie cut.
“Elder,” Besh nodded. She would’ve greeted her by name, as she’d asked in the past, but with Jax near, she couldn’t risk stepping out of line. If she embarrassed him, he might try to finish what he’d started.
“Lady Besh,” Illia greeted, her eyes slipping to the pile of busted wood. Anger flared in her eyes, changing the color from blue to something lighter and closer to a flame.
The elders knew of Jax’s abuse, knew he was running Ozarka into the ground harder and faster than they could recover. But there was little they could do against him. Illia had told her whatever saved the pack would come from outside. No one inside could help them. But who on the outside would care enough?
“What is your news, Elder?” Alpha’s voice cut through the room. “My mate and I were in the middle of something.”
“I see that.” Illia spun on her heal to face the man almost twice her size. “I’ve had a vision. Two actually. One concerning your mate’s inability to conceive.”
Besh stared at the floor. Jax had needed a reason to give the Elders when they asked about young. She hated feeling inadequate in an area so crucial to the pack, but if it kept him from impregnating her, she’d bear the shame.
“The other is about our missing wolf. Which would you care for first?”
“Tell me about Avan.”
Illia nodded, pulling Besh’s attention back to the conversation. “She has found her mate. I suspect that was her reason for leaving without notification. But rest assured, she will return, and with a man. He will be a great help to the pack.”
“Who is he? A human?”
“That’s all I have.”
Jax was quiet, taking in the information. His shoulders relaxed a fraction at the news that another one of his guardsmen hadn’t turned on him. Not that Vesh had actually done any turning. Alpha had set all that in motion to get her brother out of the way. She could only hope he was safe. That the Ravendales hadn’t found him. Cael would surely kill Vesh for betraying them so many years ago. If not for that, then to get back at her for testifying against him.
“And about my mate?”
Illia glanced at Besh before running her tongue slowly over her front teeth. “Your mate can’t conceive because of the level of stress she’s under.”
Jax scoffed. “Yeah, I don’t think that’s it, Elder.”
Illia’s eyes cut sharply to him. “I’ve never been wrong.”
“One of you was. Trager is happily mated. Was that your vision? Or another’s?”
“We weren’t wrong about Trager. We were confused. His mate can’t bear children. It is true, he won’t have a family. But it was your decision to throw him from the pack. You were the reason for the prophecy in the first place. Our visions are never wrong, Alpha.”
Jax scowled, the scar on his chest flexing with his irritation. “Fine, carry on.”
“Your mate needs a break. Time to heal. Her body and her mind. She will bear children, but not under these circumstances. If you want young, leave her alone. See to your own needs for a while.”
Jax stared at her horrified. “I’ll make use of my mate when I please, understand that.”
Illia shrugged as if it mattered not to her. “Your choice, of course. But a little understanding could go a long way to fixing the problem.”
Jax met Besh’s gaze with a wicked glare, because he knew as well as she did, no amount of understanding was going to change her mind about him. She wanted out or she wanted to be dead. Those were the only two acceptable options for her.
Chapter Two
Cael stared at the female across the table. She was beautiful. Toned and tan, with blond hair to her waist. She was his, but he didn’t want her. He’d scented her the night he and Lexar snuck into the Ozarka camp and ever since, he’d been trying to figure out a way to break it to her easy. He wasn’t the mating type.
After his only true love betrayed him, he’d spent most of his years praying to the Elders, to the Creator, to whoever was out there listening, to never allow him to find his intended mate. Not because he’d have a hard time refusing her—it’d be easy since his heart was too shattered to ever love again—but because he didn’t want to ruin her life by not giving her what she deserved: a proper mating, a family, a future.
His prayers went spectacularly un-fucking-answered.
The five members of his pack had crowded around the small table, each of them staring at the woman—Avan, Vesh had called her. Her scent assaulted him, making his wolf chuff. But the animal knew what Cael knew. Intended or not, she wasn’t the one for him. There was only one soul in the world that matched his and the fucking fates had gotten it wrong with Avan.
Images of Isabesh flashed through his mind like a strobe light. Some remembered from their time together—her peeking from behind the trunk of a tree, her sleeping soundly in his arms, her as a wolf chasing prey through the forest, her looking desolate when Jax discovered their plan to run away. Others were imagined—how her eyes might be black and bruised from the fists of the brutish alpha, how she might be a shell of a person from living unloved for such a long time, how she might look when she’s finally free of her nightmare.
His wolf whimpered for her.
Yes, the animal was pulled toward his intended. It was natural instinct. But Cael’s heart belonged to only Isabesh. She’d betrayed him, trampled on everything they had, and sentenced him to a life of loneliness. And still, he ached for only her.
With shaking hands, he tipped his beer bottle up and chugged the rest of it down.
Whether he could forgive Isabesh or not, he wouldn’t leave her at the hands of a monster. Jax needed to die for what he’d done to her, to them, to the pack. Cael was going to be the one to do it.
He was so close to having his revenge.
Avan met his gaze boldly. She wasn’t the least bit intimidated by him. Why should she be when they were practically a foregone conclusion? She didn’t doubt that he’d take her as soon as possible, give her his mark, and claim her future. She didn’t know how wrong she was.
Cael felt sorry for her. This might break her, and it would be his fault for giving his heart to another. For the millionth time he wondered why he couldn’t have just fucked Isabesh until she was out of his system. But he already knew the answer. No amount of time with her would’ve cleansed him. There was no getting over her. Years had proven that.
“Why are you here, Avan?” Trager broke the silence.
She narrowed her eyes, considering the wolf’s question. “I’m here to help.”
“What do you mean?” Vesh asked. “Did Jax send you?”
Her gaze cut away from Cael. “No. He doesn’t know I’m here and I’d like to keep it that way. I actually thought your first question would be to inqui
re about your sister. But I see you’re all comfy and mated so maybe she doesn’t matter anymore—”
Vesh’s fist connecting with the table shut off the rest of her sentence. “Don’t. You. Dare say that to me. It was your phone the alpha used to threaten me away.”
Avan stiffened. “Yes, and as you know, he doesn’t exactly ask before using things that aren’t his. There was nothing I could do about that.”
Vesh glared at her. Cael knew he should be doing the talking but he liked to think before he spoke. And thinking was impossible at the moment.
“Is…” Vesh cleared his throat but it didn’t help his riddled voice. “Is she okay?”
Avan glanced at Cael before answering. “She’s alive. That’s all I can really attest to.”
Vesh nodded. “Why are you here?”
Avan leveled her eyes at Cael, a smile playing at her lips. “I figured it was time to meet my mate.”
Shit. This was going to get ugly. He had to figure out a way to talk her down.
Vesh sat back in his chair. Cael felt his eyes on him. It was time to alpha up and deal with this.
“Listen, Avan—”
“No, no.” She leaned across the table, her scent sweeping over him. He breathed through his mouth to lessen the blow. “I scented you in my camp weeks ago, so I know you chose not to come for me. Smartest thing you’ve ever done, alpha, because I would’ve fought you off. To the death if necessary.”
Cael shook his head at her words. He must be hearing this wrong.
“I have no desire to be a first mate. I’ve seen that life and it’s not for me. The fates fucked up, babe. We aren’t meant for each other. You’re a dominant, and I’m sure as hell not a submissive.”
He could see that.
Clearing his throat sounded like trying to start a train engine. The combination of relief and confusion had his wolf pacing inside, anxious.
“What then, do you want? You say you want to help. How?”
Avan rubbed her palms together, all the sexy come-hither mysteriously vanishing from her gaze. “Jax needs to die. I assume you and your crew are the ones who could get the job done. With Vesh and Trager on board, you have an even better chance of success. Add me to the mix, and it’s a done-fucking deal.”
“You’re talking about betraying your pack. You’d be a traitor.”
“No. I’m talking about helping my pack. They’re oppressed, and it’s killing them slowly. If things go on, if our alpha is allowed to live, the pack will wither to nothing. I know it. I feel it.”
Cael looked to Lexar. The wolf was his rock. Had the most level head he’d ever seen. But now he stared at Avan with slanted eyes. He was as confused by this development as Cael was.
He focused on his intended. “And what do you get out of this? Something tells me your reasons aren’t completely altruistic.”
“I do want something in return. I never want to be controlled again. I’m tired of playing puppet while someone devious pulls my strings.” She braced her elbows on the table. “I want the pack. I want to be alpha.”
To emphasize her point, the music in the bar went quiet for a few seconds. Unplanned, but still, it put everything in focus.
Cael looked at Vesh. His frown was deep enough to cause permanent grooves in his face. He’d already sworn allegiance to Ravendale. He’d given up any right to claim Ozarka as his own. And as far as Isabesh, she would be part of Ravendale whether she wanted to or not. Or at least until she made up for her betrayal. Vesh had already agreed to that part.
Cael stared at Trager, who looked supremely annoyed. He didn’t have any claim to Ozarka and didn’t want to lead anyway. He barely wanted to be part of a pack, and Cael had a feeling it was only because his mate had come to love the wolves so much.
Haze, Cael’s second, was absent from the conversation, but he wasn’t ready to lead a pack. He still had anger issues to work through.
That left Lexar or the traitor, Farrow. Or Avan.
Cael turned to his most trusted. “What do you think?”
Lexar ripped his gaze away from the female. “I think if you don’t give her this, she’ll take it. We don’t want war. You said so yourself. We just want Jax.”
“This one is bright,” Avan muttered.
Lexar narrowed his gaze at her. “I recognize a dark horse when I see one. Ma’am.”
Avan’s eyes flared before she glanced away.
“And what happens when you’re in charge of the pack? Do we just go on like we aren’t intended? Do our packs remain enemies?” Cael asked.
She looked around the table at the wolves and their mates. “Allies,” she said, and then her eyes landed back on him. “And we go our separate ways. Give fate a big middle finger.”
Cael’s head spun. This was an insane turn of events. Not at all how he’d ever envisioned this happening. “And what if I don’t want that? What if I want to claim you?” He had to make sure she knew what she was saying.
“Like I said, I’d kill you first. Besides, we both know that’s not what you want.”
He raised an eyebrow. “And if I change my mind?”
She shrugged one shoulder, causing her blond hair to fall over the front. “I suspect you won’t. Now, do we have a deal?”
Knowing she had something to gain from this transaction gave him a sense of security. It was clear she wanted control. If she double-crossed them, she wouldn’t get it. There was really nothing to lose and everything to gain. He’d have his revenge and Isabesh safe.
“Yes.” He nodded. “We have a deal.”
Chapter Three
Besh was jarred awake by a loud thud. She sat up in the bed and listened. Jax spent many rage-filled nights slamming things around in the kitchen or his office. She hated waking up to his anger because it usually meant he was going to either hit her or fuck her.
And only one of those things would she allow right now.
Her heat was upon her. The random visits from unmated wolves who hadn’t learned how to tame their instincts proved it. Jax had beaten many over the past week, and locked her in her room as if she couldn’t help herself. As if she’d lift her tail for any virile male. As if she wasn’t a damn grown woman who had several heats under her belt.
The burn between her legs throbbed and she considered taking another shower.
The sound that awoke her happened again, this time followed by a crash. Their lodge would likely be a mess by morning. She listened for Jax’s voice but everything was eerily silent.
Lying back on the bed, she kicked off the blankets and sawed her legs together hoping for an ounce of relief. It didn’t help. She’d been through this many times and each season she didn’t give her wolf a young to mother, the heat became worse.
Minutes or hours later, the lock to her room clicked and the door opened. Inches at first, revealing that the room beyond was dark. Then wider until she could make out the furious face of her alpha.
Besh swallowed down her feeling of despair. “What is it?” she asked.
He stepped into the room as if she’d invited him in, taking in a deep breath. His eyes squeezed closed for a moment before opening again to glare at her.
“Avan has returned, and without her mate. Neither is she marked. I suppose our elders are wrong once more.”
“At least she’s back. Maybe she didn’t find him. Perhaps the elders aren’t—”
His foot snapped out to kick the bedside table, sending the lamp crashing to the floor.
“If the elders are wrong about Trager, and about Avan, maybe they’re wrong about you as well. They think you need distance, to de-stress, but we both know the only reason you aren’t already with young is because your hate is bigger than your care for the pack.”
“I care very much for the wolves here. It’s you I don’t care for. But you knew that already. Knew it when you forced me into this agreement.”
Besh shook at the dominance rolling off her mate. He was pure alpha in the moment and her wolf was rebellin
g against her. She grit her teeth and pulled strength from a reserve she’d been tucking away all these years.
Jax rushed forward, falling at the floor near her bed. For a single moment, he looked sorry. But it was nothing he hadn’t shown her before, and the sorry always morphed quickly into something sick.
“Why do you do this to me, Besh? Why do you push me to this? Have I not given you an exceptional life here? I thought removing Vesh from the equation might change things. I even sought to kill your bastard lover in hopes of breaking the bond you two formed so many years ago, but he’s been elusive.”
Anger formed in the pit of her stomach, a sour aching ball of fury. “You did what?”
Jax’s face twisted into a caricature-like grimace.
“You swore to me he’d be safe!”
Besh had spent so many years angry at the way her life had turned out, but one thing had made it possible to survive, and that was knowing Cael existed somewhere in the world. Years upon years had worn on her, and her anger turned dead. She’d become a shell that could hardly be riled. Maybe that was why Jax pushed her so much now. To get a reaction. But this… this was more than she could bear. She’d given her life, the possibility of happiness and a future, her soul, so that Cael could be safe. Everything unraveled if Jax didn’t keep his end of the deal.
Jax narrowed his eyes. “I want a young. We do this now.”
“Never,” she spat.
She was done. Done being his bitch. Done pretending he’d keep his word, as if he was noble. Done letting him lord over her because of her past wrongs. He’d hurt Vesh, and he’d hurt her. And Cael… the things he’d likely endured because of her. Because of Alpha.
She couldn’t be dead inside anymore. She had to fight. Dead was only possible when she thought it was keeping the people she loved alive. What good was a martyr if there was no cause to die for?
He growled and lunged for her, but she rolled off the other side of the bed, springing to her feet to run. She’d run to the elders. Have them call a forum. If they wouldn’t listen she’d play her trump card: Farrow would have to help her.
