The Raven Queen

by Emma Jayne Mills

  “That’s my girl.” The knowledge that his mate was a badass eased his mind about her safety somewhat. The rest, he could deal with when he was back by her side. The few minutes he had spent in her presence had awoken his deep-rooted need to be near her, there was no fighting their bond anymore, it was time they were together.

  “Oh, come on! How difficult can one woman be? So, she’s a bit stubborn...” Jax’s snort cut Hunter off mid-sentence.

  “Rory’s heart argues with her head every time it wants to beat,” Jax told him, with a wry smile and a shake of his head.

  “She’s as stubborn as a mule and too damn clever for her own good. She’ll charm the heart right out of your chest before you even know what’s happening.” Marco warned his teammates that Aurora was not one to be taken lightly. If she was going to be joining them, they needed to know what they were up against or she’d trample all over them.

  “Seriously, fellas. You need to know exactly what we’re dealing with here. My mate is not just some stubborn little girl you can throw over your shoulder and expect to submit. You experienced it for yourselves, she’s an alpha. She descends from the most powerful line of alpha wolves that has ever existed. The Shadow Pack has always been ruled by the Byrne wolves. No other family is strong enough to challenge them for leadership. You’ve all seen the strength and power Marco has, far more than any average beta wolf. That comes from his family line. Put that in an alpha and multiply it. A lot! She has a mind of her own and she knows how to use it. You try and dominate her and she’ll kick your arses as soon as look at you!” Jax attempted to make them understand.

  “You’re gonna fucking love her!” Marco’s grin was full of sarcasm and affection for his sister.

  “I already do!” Hunter announced, with a laugh.

  “Right, take me to my mate, boys!” Jax laughed, clapping his hands together once.

  “Yeah, so she can rip off your balls with her bare hands and feed ‘em to ya,” Hunter joked.

  “I can’t fucking wait,” Jax agreed and he meant it. He was in for a crappy ride with his wild thing, but he was happy to take it.

  Caspian was nowhere to be found when Aurora arrived home. Her elation and excitement over the partial shift dissipated and she decided it was time to check up on him. Turning straight around, she headed for her parent’s house, intending to ask her father about the meeting Caspian claimed he was attending. Her question never found its voice, she had her answer as soon as she walked through the door. Brone and his sons, Darius, and Finn (whose date had been a no show), were at the house, and she quickly learned that there had been no meeting.

  The presence of her daughter delighted Aislinn Byrne, she wasted no time in insisting Brone send for his wife, Sinead. Aislinn, who lived to entertain, never missed an opportunity for them all to eat together. Food was a big deal among shifters. They burned calories quicker and were more active than the other paranormal races, so they naturally ate a lot and celebrations, of any kind, always revolved around food.

  Aurora sat, opposite her Grandmother and next to Finn, Brone’s eldest son. Darius was relaying the story of his brother’s dislocated shoulder, as inflicted by Aurora during the previous day’s training session, when he was interrupted by the sudden shattering of crystal. Red wine crept across the white linen tablecloth like blood seeping from a wound and the rattling of the dining room windows stunned the group into silence. Brief seconds passed and urgent glances were exchanged between Connell and Brone. The two men simultaneously rose to their feet, saying to their wives to stay put.

  “What the fuck?” Aurora stood abruptly and moved towards the windows to see what was going on.

  “Get away from the window, Aurora!” Connell yelled, pulling her back by the arm. “Brone, Darius, with me. Aurora, stay here, out of sight. Finn, make sure she stays.”

  “Fuck that!” She moved to follow him.

  Finn wrapped his fingers around her arm, causing her to pause and face him. “Aurora, two alphas in the same place, when we could be under attack, is not a good idea. You should not be next to your father right now.”

  “Shit!” she whispered.

  Of course, she knew Finn was right. If anything were to happen to her father, she would have to step into his place earlier than expected. The sobering thought, however, didn’t change the fact that her alpha genes were screaming at her to be out there where the threat was, protecting her pack.

  “Help me get the them downstairs, before anything else happens.” Finn spoke in a hushed voice, looking towards their mothers, and Aurora’s Grandmother. Aurora followed his look, nodded once, and went to grasp her Gran’s elbow.

  As they reached the bottom step and entered the basement, another explosion shook the foundations of the house. Plaster cracked, breaking away and dropping from the ceiling. Aislinn gave a startled scream. Her hands flew up to cover her mouth. Allowing the initial shock to subside, she switched to auto pilot, frantically looking around the underground room to assess the damage and make the other women comfortable.

  “Screw this! Finn, stay with them,” Aurora ordered, knowing he had to obey. Using her rank or power over the pack was something she hadn’t yet grown comfortable with, she doubted she ever would, but she would fall on it if she had to. He nodded solemnly, whispered for her to be safe and watched her race back up the stairs, through the house, to the front door.

  The tree lined edge of her parent’s garden was aflame. Her Dad, Brone, and Darius were facing off with several intruders. Big men, unmistakable shifters. One of them, a huge, long haired man, stepped forward, marking himself as the alpha and addressed the men of the Shadow Pack.

  “My name is Lykos Stratitori and I have come for my mate. Nobody needs to get hurt, just hand her over and we will leave.” The man eyed Connell, who matched his challenging stance, sizing him up should it come to blows.

  “That has to be the worst chat up line I have ever heard.” Refusing to acknowledge the chills the stranger’s voice sent down her spine, she stalked towards the standoff.

  “Aurora, stay back,” Brone warned. Her father put out a hand to stop her moving in front of him.

  “Don’t worry, that was plan A.” Lykos, who she instinctively knew was a wolf, smiled as she came near. There was something almost familiar in his eyes, something she couldn’t explain, it drew her to him. Not in the way she was drawn to Jax, the mate bond was more powerful. Still, in the hurried moments that had passed, something had sparked to life between them. Something that made her both wary and intrigued.

  “And what’s plan B?” she asked, forcibly ignoring the invisible pull to him.

  “To take you hostage,” he charmed.

  “Lord, give me patience, or an untraceable handgun.” Aurora aimed her eyes to the sky and groaned. “Were you conceived during anal sex?

  “What?” He narrowed his eyes in a confused frown.

  “It would explain why you’re such an arsehole!” She tipped her head to the side and sent him a sarcastic smirk.

  “Ha! You were right, Caspian, she is feisty,” he chuckled. Caspian, right on cue, stepped out from the dense treeline behind Lykos.

  “You, absolute bell end!” She shook her head slowly at her so-called mate. The phone calls she overheard had been to this man, he was working for him. Caspian had set this up, he had let them in.

  “My men?” Connell cut in.

  “Your men are fine, fear not for their lives, Connell. I’m a reasonable man and have more respect for you than to start a war with your pack. I merely came for my mate, as I already stated. Caspian assisted me in entering your territory, you may do with him what you will, I have no further use for him.”

  “What? Wait! You promised me an alpha position. A pack of my own if I handed her over to you,” Caspian addressed Lykos, wide eyed.

  Power, that was all Caspian had ever craved. It was no secret he’d always hated the fact that Jax was an alpha and he wasn’t, but Aurora never imagined he would resort to anything
like this. He claimed to love her. It seemed the power she could bring him, whether as his mate or by handing her over, was more important to him than love.

  “Silly, pup, you should have been happy with your lot. A beautiful mate and a guaranteed beta position within the most influential wolf pack of our time. Now, because you were greedy, you have handed that mate to me and you have nothing.” Lykos smiled, knowingly, at Caspian.

  “A beta can never become an alpha, you fool.” Caspian’s father’s voice came from behind them as he approached his pup. “Why would you do this, son?”

  “Because this is the only way any of you will ever see me as equal to him!” Caspian glared at his father. “Beta and mate of the pack alpha wasn’t enough! I never would have had much sway over the pack, always answering to her. I would never have been her equal the way he would, I was just her yes man. She’s never loved me. She played the part well enough, but she never loved me the way I love her.” His eyes fell on Aurora. “Do you think I didn’t notice the way you looked at him the other day? Kissing him, right in front of me? I could never match up to my brother, the hero. Could I, Rory?”

  “I don’t have time for family therapy sessions. Hand over my mate and we will be on our way.” Lykos smiled at Aurora and she curled her lip at him. There might have been some kind of weird spark between them, but she didn’t like him and she definitely didn’t trust him.

  “You cannot have my daughter, Lykos,” Connell replied and Brone’s grip on Aurora tightened, but her mind was elsewhere.

  “You’ll regret this, Caspian. You little fucking worm!” She turned to Lykos. “As for you, we have no bond and I have no desire to form one with you. So, you can take your ugly arse pack out of my territory.”

  “I assure you, sweet Koraki, there is a bond. Look deeper and you will find it.” His hungry eyes raked over her body as though she was prey.

  “Oh, fuck off!” She rolled her eyes. “It doesn’t matter how deep I go, there will never be a bond with you.”

  “My daughter has denied your bond claim. You risk a pack war if you continue to push this issue,” Connell warned. “Leave now and I will take no further action.”

  “I’m afraid I can’t do that, Connell. She is destined to be mine and I will have her.” Lykos took a step forward and Brone pushed Aurora behind him.

  The thud thud thud of helicopter blades overhead caught their attention. Aurora looked up and met the eyes of her brother, who was hanging out of the open side of the helicopter. The chopper hovered over the clearing of their parent’s garden and she was distracted suddenly, when Jax’s face appeared behind Marco. Both wore harnesses of some kind and looked as though they were getting ready to lower themselves to the ground. Jax met her eyes with his and an exchange of expressive looks took place.

  -I love you.

  -I hate you.

  -I’ll never let you go.

  -Fuck you.

  -You’re mine, Rory.

  -Help me get rid of this prick and maybe we’ll talk.

  They were only a few of the words, spoken silently between them, in the split second it took for Lykos to use the distraction to his advantage and move towards Aurora. Brone’s hold on her disappeared and she turned to see Caspian had moved in and knocked him out, before turning to face her. She threw a punch, catching him in the jaw and sending him flailing backwards. She wasn’t done, she intended to tear him apart. As she drew back her fist, a hand wrapped itself around her arm and cold metal clicked into place around her neck. She struggled against the hold Lykos had on her and tried to shift. Nothing happened.

  “Silver, my Koraki,” Lykos hissed in her ear, running a gloved finger along the collar he had placed around her neck. “You will be unable to shift as long as you wear it.”

  “Let. Her. Go.” The barely controlled voice of an alpha wolf on the verge of losing his shit washed over her, sending a pulse through her veins. Her true mate was on the ground. Aurora’s body electrified and turned to Jax instinctively, as she fought the rigid arms that Lykos had locked around her torso. He was an immoveable force.

  “She is mine, young wolf.” Lykos was unruffled. He knew there was no way he was leaving here without the mate he was claiming.

  “She is not your mate, Lykos. You know this,” Connell told him. “My daughter’s true mate stands before you now.”

  Jax’s eyes hadn’t left Aurora’s for a second, even though he had addressed Lykos when he’d spoken. Years of training together as children meant they had grown to predict the other’s next move without speaking it out loud. Now that their silent connection worked in both directions, situations such as this should be even easier for them. But they were out of practice.

  “We can do this the easy way, or the hard way. Your choice, but we are doing this. You are not leaving this territory with my mate,” Jax warned the wolf who held her.

  “You are mistaken. It is written in the prophecies. She is meant for me,” Lykos argued, with an eerie calmness that set her on edge.

  “Those fucking prophecies are the bane of my life.” She kicked a leg backwards, hitting Lykos in the shin. He hissed with the pain, but his hold only tightened.

  “Relax, my little Koraki,” he smiled, indulgently.

  “Koraki? Is that even a word?”

  “Time and a place, Rory, keep your head in the game, babe.” Jax grinned at her and she knew he was ready to make his move.

  “Yeah, fuck that. Are we doing this, or what?” She smiled, sweetly. Lykos and his men looked around, confused.

  “Ready when you are, wild thing.” At his subtle nod, Aurora bent forward at the waist, throwing Lykos over her shoulders. His back cracked loudly upon landing on the sun hardened earth and all hell broke loose.

  Jax raced towards her only to be cut off by one of the men who had arrived with Lykos. The others quickly descended on him and began throwing punches. Aurora stood upright and delivered a hard kick to Lykos, hitting his mid-section as he rolled onto all fours and tried to rise. Connell and Brone grabbed him, pulling him to his feet. Aurora was lifted from behind and dragged from the clearing into the covering of the trees. She kicked and struggled and screamed at whoever had her, until they dropped her on the ground. Aurora swiftly hauled herself to her knees and looked up into a face she didn’t recognise.

  “Time to go to sleep, little bird,” the man growled, before he hit her with something heavy.

  Aurora’s world went black.

  The messenger faced off with the ancient vampire, swallowing the fear that bubbled and repeated the words.

  “A wolf, she was taken by a wolf. I could not get to her.”

  “Find her!” Leo roared and the messenger dropped, knees hitting the stone floor of the underground chamber. “Do not dare to return to me without her!”

  The vampire king’s plan to take the raven queen had been foiled by a wolf, this was face he could not afford to lose in front of his court. The messenger needed to be punished, but this was his only contact. It pained him to admit, he needed the messenger more than the messenger needed him. A hushed anticipation hung in the air as the occupants of the room awaited the messenger’s fate, eager for blood to spill.

  “What other news do you have for me?”

  “Her mate has resurfaced. He witnessed the kidnapping, failed to stop her from being taken but he’ll be looking for her now. He’s obsessed.” The messenger paused before adding, “I have a way in with the wolf.”

  “Do whatever you need to.” Leo bent to meet the messenger’s eyes beneath the hood that always covered their identity. “Do not forget, I know who you are, I know what you risk by being here. I, and I alone, am in control of your future.”

  “I do not forget, my lord,” the messenger responded.

  “Go!”

  The messenger scurried away and Leo stalked from the gathering room into the adjoining chamber. He stood over the young witch that slumped, chained to the wall in the darkness. He had been a welcome distraction as a child, but
now the witch had come of age, and Leo’s need for control was more important. The witch was about to serve his long-awaited purpose. He nudged a leg with his booted foot.

  “Wake up, little witch, it’s time to show me what you can really do.”

  “Where is she?” Jax roared.

  When the fighting calmed and the smoke cleared, he’d paced the clearing in a rage, unable to see her. He’d called out her name only to be met with silence every time. During their time apart, he had always been able to feel her on the edge of his consciousness. He could no longer feel her presence, though her scent was everywhere and his wolf was incensed at the absence of his mate.

  “Aurora!” Marco’s eyes scanned the clearing for his sister.

  The fighting had been chaotic and a lot of blood was spilled. Thankfully, the team and both Jax and Marco’s families had sustained no serious injuries. At some point, everything had come to a halt. The uninvited pack had turned tail and fled under the cover of a cloud of smoke grenades. Jax turned now, to where Brone and Finn were holding Lykos, approaching him slowly with a lethal look on his face. It was a look that terrified most people, Lykos merely laughed. Jax kicked his legs out from under him, forcing him to his knees. Brone and Finn stepped back slightly to form a circle as Cole, Marco and Hunter joined them.

  “Where is my mate?” Jax snarled, holding his gun to the perpetrator’s head.

  “If you kill me, my beta will kill her. You will never set eyes on her again.” Lykos spoke politely and smiled up at Jax.

  “Jax, cool it.” Zane’s alpha fuelled rumble barely stopped Jax from whipping the pistol around Lykos’s face. Could someone be pistol whipped to death? Jax was willing to find out.

  An unbearable mix of anger and pain at her disappearance taunted him from the edges of his awareness. Someone needed to suffer for this. Jax lowered his hand, acknowledging his commander’s authority with a look that spoke volumes to the older shifter. Zane understood, more than most, what Jax was feeling in that moment and would do whatever it took to help him get Aurora back safely.