by L. P. Dover
“For now, just watch out for two royal wolves. A male and a female; they’re brother and sister.”
Sebastian gasps. “Royals? Who are they?”
“It’s a long story, brother. Let’s just say they’re not the kind we want in our pack. They’re angry with me, and I know they want revenge.”
“What the fuck, Z? Are you concerned they’ll go after Laila?”
As much as I worry about my daughter every day, I know she can take care of herself. With her fae magic, she’s stronger than Kara and Knox combined. “I don’t know, but I’ll warn her.”
Sebastian sighs. “All right, I’ll spread the word. Are you going to call Ryker, or do you want me to talk to him?”
The traffic on the highway comes to a standstill. “I’ll do it. I have to fly to South Dakota this afternoon for a meeting tomorrow, and then I’ll be back in Wyoming in a couple of days. Until then, I want to make sure you’re all vigilant.”
“Don’t worry about us, Z. We got this.”
We hang up, and the traffic starts to move slowly. Up ahead, I can see an ambulance and several police cars, all surrounding an accident. Once past the wreck, the highway opens up, and I lay on the gas. I wish I didn’t have another meeting. Getting back to Wyoming is all I can think about right now.
Quickly, I scroll through my phone to Laila’s number and hit send. Her voice sounds tired when she answers. “Hey, Dad.”
After losing her mother, I never had a reason to smile until I found out I had a daughter. There are days when I get so angry that I missed so much of her life, but I’m grateful I have her now.
“Hey. Are you feeling okay?”
She laughs. “I feel like I’m about to pop. Little Sera should be here any day. But right now, I’m just lying on the couch watching a movie. Cedric went out to buy me more vanilla ice cream, hot fudge, and Oreos. I like to crunch the cookies up myself and put them in the ice cream. It tastes much better that way.”
“I bet it does.”
“Is something wrong? You don’t sound right,” she says.
With a heavy sigh, I focus on the road. “There is. I already called Sebastian, and I’m getting ready to call Ryker so we can have a meeting.”
“Oh, dear God, what’s going on?” she demands.
“I’ll explain in more detail later, but there are a couple of royals from my past who want to punish me for keeping my allegiance to the Royal pack. Their family tried to take over and lost. In the end, the Storms banished them. So the only way they can hurt me is to come after you.” And Amelie, but I don’t want her knowing that just yet.
“Wow,” she gasps. “So, there are two corrupt royals out there? Why are they angry with you?”
I pull off the highway toward the airport entrance and come to a stop at the light. “I was involved with the woman, and her brother was my best friend.”
The line goes silent for a few seconds. “I see. Well, I have to say I’m really curious to hear the whole story.”
I scoff. “You will when I get back. Just stay safe.”
She laughs again. “No one’s going to hurt my family or me. Just focus on keeping yourself safe. We’ll be fine here.” I never knew how much you could love someone until she came into my life. “And Dad?”
“Yes?”
“I love you.”
When I lost her mother, Alina, I thought I’d lost my heart. I didn’t want to feel love again. I didn’t think I deserved it. That is until Laila brought back the green stone for me when she passed over to the Hereafter, which is where the fae go when they die. There were a few minutes where we all thought she was gone forever. The life had left her body. Seeing her lifeless body on the ground was the worst fucking thing I had ever experienced in all of my existence. But, while she was there, she got to see her mother. That’s when Alina gave her the green stone to give to me; it was a gift. She wanted me to see that Amelie was my true mate. I know Alina wants me to be happy, but I will always carry the guilt of her death on my shoulders. I should’ve been there to protect her when the Sierra pack abducted her. If I’d known she was pregnant, I never would’ve left on pack business. There are so many things I’d change.
“I love you too, Laila. Don’t have that baby until I get back.”
She giggles. “No promises.”
We say our goodbyes and hang up. My thoughts drift to Amelie, but if Knox and Kara show up in Wyoming, they won’t have any idea that she’s my mate. Hopefully, that will keep her safe for now.
I scroll down to Ryker’s number, and the line rings. Ryker Whitemore and Bailey Storm are the head alphas of the Royal pack, even though there are several other alphas, including myself and my brothers. There isn’t a pack in all of the world that has the same dynamics as us. We work together without the greed and lust for power.
“Lyall,” Ryker answers. “What can I do for you today?”
“We need a pack meeting when I get back into town. There might be some trouble headed to Wyoming.”
Ryker blows out a sigh. “And here I was just thinking how nice it was not to have problems. So what exactly are we about to get into?”
“A centuries-old pack war,” I reply. “And we’re not just dealing with normal wolves. These are royals, and they’re out for blood.”
4
Amelie
The week has flown by. It’s already Thursday in the first week of December. In just a few short weeks, it’ll be Christmas. It’s all my students have been able to talk about. Last week was nothing but Thanksgiving, and it’s already been forgotten.
I’ve gotten texts from Tyla saying that Laila was in labor for the past couple of hours. I graded as many test papers as I could until the final text came through saying the baby had finally arrived. I wanted to be there, but Laila and Cedric needed that time to bring their daughter into the world together. I’ve seen the birth of so many babies over the years, and I know how special it is.
I stack up the test papers onto the kitchen counter and grab my car keys. Once out in the car, I head to Laila and Cedric’s cabin, which is only about seven minutes away. The driveway is long, with the thick forest on both sides. It reminds me of my old home in North Carolina. There are times when I miss it, but I have nothing there anymore. My family is in Wyoming now.
When I pull up to the cabin, Tyla is on the front porch swing with Brooke in her arms while Sebastian, Kami, and Colin talk close by. Kami waves at me excitedly and motions for me to hurry up and get out of the car. I get out and say hello to the guys before moving over to the swing to sit next to Tyla. Little Brooke is asleep in her arms, looking so sweet and angelic.
“Every time I look at her, I want to squeeze her little cheeks,” I say.
“Same,” Kami replies, walking over to us. “She’s so stinking cute.”
Tyla peers up at her. “So, when are you and Colin having babies?”
Kami snorts. “Not anytime soon. I have way too much going on in my life right now.”
“Like what?” I ask her. “Give me all the details. I want to know all about your FBI stuff.” Kami is an undercover FBI agent working for a secret organization of vigilante assassins called the Circle of Justice. She kills people for a living.
Crossing her arms over her chest, Kami leans against the house and smiles. “Well, for starters, I’m helping the FBI train a new female recruit for the next eight weeks. Then, once that’s done, I’ll be back in the field doing what I do.”
I smile at her. “Sounds so exciting. Don’t get me wrong, I love being a teacher, but sometimes I think it’d be exhilarating to do what you do. That’s why I have to live vicariously through you.”
Kami chuckles. “I’ll be happy to tell you all the stories you want.”
The cabin door opens, and Cedric walks out with the biggest grin on his face. “I’m officially a daddy. Can you fucking believe it?”
Sebastian and Colin pat his back, and they banter back and forth like they always do. Then, finally, Cedric looks over at
us and nods toward inside. “Laila’s dying to see you all.”
Tyla stands with Brooke, and Kami opens the door for us. We walk inside, and I can already hear little Sera’s tiny heartbeat thumping away in the bedroom down the hall. Josie walks out and greets us with a smile. Not only is she part of the pack, but she’s also a midwife. It comes in handy having someone like that around. Most of us aren’t born in regular hospitals. There are too many things that’ll draw attention, especially with our ability to heal quickly.
Josie stops us in the hallway. “Laila did amazing. I don’t think she’ll need me anymore, but if she does, just tell her to call me.”
I nod. “We will.”
The door is cracked, and I push it open gently. Laila’s sitting up in bed with a bundle in her arms, glowing with that bright smile of hers. She has bright red hair, usually only seen with red wolves, but she’s a royal arctic. Her mother was fae, and she had the same color of hair.
“You look amazing,” I tell her. I walk over to the side of the bed to take a better look at Sera. Her eyes are closed, but she has little sprigs of red hair on her head. Tears fill my eyes. “She has your red hair.”
Laila grins and holds Sera up. “Yes, she does. I can already see some fae in her.”
I carefully sit down on the bed and cradle Sera in my arms. She clasps onto my finger, and it makes my eyes burn even more. “Look. She’s holding my finger.”
Sera isn’t just a normal wolf. I can feel the power of the fae in her. I look into Laila’s eyes, and she nods. “You feel it, can’t you?”
“I can,” I admit. “Sera’s going to have a lot of power.”
Laila beams. “Yes, she will.”
“What about you? Did you lose it?”
The only reason Laila still had her fae magic was that she was pregnant. After the dark fae injured her, she died and was thrust into the Hereafter. The fae part in her blood had died as a result, but it was her wolf blood that ended up saving her. Since her mother was fae, she got to see her in the Hereafter. I’d give anything to see my mother again.
Laila’s grin widens. “Watch this.”
She focuses on a plant in the corner of the room, and a shimmer of magic surrounds it, making blooms of pink blossom from the buds. The girls and I gasp, and I jerk my attention back to Laila. “You still have it. How is that possible?”
Laila shrugs, but I can see the essence of pure joy in her bright blue eyes. “I don’t know, but I do. It’s the best feeling in the world.”
Kami laughs. “Well, I’ll be damned. Now we’ll have two powerful fae in the pack.”
“Cedric is going to love this,” Tyla adds. “I bet you can’t wait to tell him.”
Laila’s grin shifts mischievously. “Don’t say anything just yet. I want to mess with him a bit. We both thought I’d lose it once Sera was born. Now that I still have it, I can play some jokes on him.”
Kami giggles. “I’m okay with that.”
I shake my head at them both. “You guys are too much. Poor Cedric.”
Brooke starts to fuss, so Tyla excuses herself and walks out of the room. Kami stays for a few more minutes, but then her phone beeps, and she leaves to take the call. With Sera in my arms, I stand and walk around the room.
“You’re so good with kids,” Laila murmurs. “One day, you’ll have some of your own.”
Shrugging, I look over at her. “Maybe.”
I haven’t told her about Kami dreaming about my mate or that I know he’s out there somewhere.
Laila’s smile fades, and I can sense her sadness. “What is it?” I ask her.
She looks away and sighs. “I can’t stop thinking about what I had to do to you when you were mated to my brother.”
The thought of Jaret makes my blood boil. “He wasn’t your real brother, Laila. You did what you had to do to keep me safe. I’d be dead if you didn’t.”
Jaret was evil. When he seduced me to be his mate, I didn’t realize it was all a ploy to draw in Tyla and Sebastian. They knew Tyla would come if I were in danger. To keep Jaret from killing me, Laila used her magic to make him think I was pregnant. The thought of having a baby brought me joy, but I’m glad it was a fabrication in the end.
“Still,” Laila whispers, her voice full of regret, “I’d do anything to change the past.”
I shake my head. “No. If you did, we wouldn’t be where we are today. I’m happy with the way things turned out.” Taking Sera over to the bed, I gently place her in Laila’s arms. The second I let her go, a thrumming feeling vibrates through my veins. I stand up straight and run my hands over my arms; I’ve never felt that kind of jolt before.
Laila’s gaze narrows. “Are you okay?”
I rub my arms a little longer, and the feeling goes away. “Yeah, I think so. My arms just felt strange there for a while.”
Kami walks back in, pocketing her cell phone. “Sorry about that. It was work.” She moves closer to the bed and stands next to me. “So … is your dad coming to visit you and the baby?” she asks Laila.
Laila nods. “Cedric was supposed to call him. I know he just got back into town.”
Kami turns around and faces me. “You’ve never actually talked to Zayne, have you?”
I’ve been in the same vicinity as him but never close enough to say anything to him. He’s never tried to talk to me either. “No,” I reply. “I know he likes to keep to himself. I thought I’d get the chance to meet him on Thanksgiving. I hate he couldn’t make it.”
Kami shakes her head and laughs. “Yeah, he’s pretty interesting. He’s also a good fighter. I don’t know what Colin and I would’ve done if he hadn’t helped us on my last case.”
Zayne is a handsome man, and so is his brother, Micah. Micah has been my trainer for the past few months. He’s taught me to fight in ways I never thought I could. I miss him right now. Unfortunately, he left to search for the other wolves in the old Royal pack. No one has been able to get in touch with them, and Micah fears something might be wrong. I genuinely hope he finds them and that they’re safe. So far, no one has heard any updates.
Tyla walks back in with Brooke, but now she’s awake and reaching for me. Tyla hands her to me, and Brooke clutches onto my shirt. “She could hear your voice,” Tyla informs me. “She wouldn’t stop grunting until I brought her back here.”
I wink at my cousin. “It’s because she loves me.” Then, turning back to Laila, I smile and hold Brooke close. “I’m going to take this little one outside so you can get some rest.”
Laila nods. “Thanks for stopping by. You know I love having your company.”
“I’ll be sure to visit more often. I don’t think I can get enough of these babies.”
Tyla says her goodbyes to Laila, and so does Kami. Then we all walk outside, where the guys are still laughing and talking about God knows what.
“Do you want to come over for dinner?” Tyla asks me. “I made a huge crockpot full of vegetable soup. I plan on making some beer bread to go with it.”
“I would love to.” My stomach grumbles with hunger. “I can’t stay long though. I have a mountain of papers to grade by tomorrow.”
Tyla laughs. “That’s perfectly fine.”
Sebastian comes over and kisses Tyla on the head. “Now that you guys are done, let me go in and see Laila, and then we can go.”
Tyla nods, and he rushes off inside with Colin. I walk over to Sebastian’s car, and Tyla opens the backseat door so that I can put Brooke in her car seat. “Thanks for inviting me to dinner,” I say, strapping Brooke in.
“No thanks necessary. You’re my family, Amelie. I know it was hard last week not having your parents with us, and I know Christmas is going to be even harder.”
“Yes, it will,” I agree, trying my hardest not to cry. “My mom and dad loved the holidays. It was always their favorite time of the year.”
“Is there a reason why Colin and I didn’t get invited to dinner?” Kami teases.
Tyla gasps. “You’re more
than welcome to come too. I just figured you and Colin are still in that honeymoon bliss stage. I know how it is when you first get mated.”
“Um, Tyla,” I say, staring at her as if she’s lost her mind, “You and Sebastian are still in that stage. I’m surprised you’re not pregnant again.”
Tyla’s face reddens, and she looks away. “Okay, okay, it’s hard to keep my hands off of him.”
Kami agrees with a nod. “Same with Colin. We enjoy our time alone together.”
Every time I hear them banter back and forth about their mates, it makes me want to know who mine is. Sometimes I think Kami lays it on thick like this so I’ll ask. I know she wants me to know who he is.
Once Brooke is secured, I stand back so Tyla can shut the door. Even though wolves don’t get cold from the frigid mountain air, I can see why Tyla wouldn’t want Brooke to be exposed to it. Shivers run down my arms, and the thrumming in my veins comes back with a vengeance.
Kami stares at me curiously. “Amelie, what’s wrong?”
I shake my head. “Nothing. I just have this warm, tickly feeling in my arms. It happened just a few minutes ago.”
Kami’s attention turns to the woods, and I jerk my head to see what she’s looking at. “What is it?” I ask, glancing back and forth from her to the forest.
Her eyes narrow, but then she shrugs it off and smiles. “Nothing. I think it’s just a little scaredy-cat running away.”
She says it jokingly, but I don’t get it. Before I can ask what I missed, Sebastian walks out with Colin. Tyla hugs me and pats my back. “Come on, let’s go. I’m starving.”
I say goodbye to Kami, Colin, and Cedric before getting in my car and following Sebastian and Tyla out of the driveway. As I’m slowly creeping along behind them, the thrumming in my veins comes back. I look out at the woods, and I can’t help but get the feeling that someone’s watching me. It sends shivers through my body but not in a bad way. This is different from anything I’ve ever felt. All I can say is I love the way it feels.
5
