The Cursed Alpha's Queen

Forced

CADENCE

Running through the woods, the crisp air brushing my fur. The moon was high in the sky and the night was awake with the sounds of life.

Alpha you are summoned back to the main hall My delta pack mate came up to me and rolled over, exposing his belly.

You do not need to stand on ceremony with my wolf. I wanted to change the old ways of the pack, the greetings, and the show of respect. It was all pomp and circumstance.

It is the way things are my Alpha. Soon you will be King. Baring my teeth, the other wolf whimpered.

I shifted back to human form and cursed as the chilled Alaska air hit my bare skin.

“I can’t talk to you like this, Malcolm. Shift now.” The other wolf shifted and I felt a little bit of guilt. I had used my Alpha powers to force the other dire wolf to shift.

Clapping my hand on the other man’s shoulder I pulled him in for a hug.

“My apologies Alpha, I have displeased you.” Rolling my eyes and I wondered if the lower wolves will accept the new rules.

“I am not going to get you to treat me as an equal, am I?” The other man’s eyes popped open in surprise and I suppressed the laugh that wanted to escape.

“I am a lowly level three Delta; I will never be equal to you.” Sighing Cadence ran a hand through his shaggy hair and wished he stayed in wolf form.

There was a storm brewing in the wind and the weather was unpredictable this close to the Arctic Circle. I was going to have frostbite on my bits and pieces.

“You said I was being summoned, is it Father?” My father was ill and any day we expected him to pass on and join the wild hunt with Odin.

“No, your bride has arrived.” A low growl vibrated in my chest and I shifted back into wolf form.

Do not bother me again with this nonsense. Send her back to the Fae lands from which she came.

“I can’t do that my Alpha, the contract.” Turning around, I snapped at Malcolm causing the other man to cringe.

My father and ancestors came up with that ridiculous contract, not me. There were rumors that the contract was signed between the Dire Wolves, Freyja, and Freyr.

I fought with my father on this, I had a mate it was a first-level Beta she-wolf named Amka. She was a beautiful black wolf and an even more beautiful woman.

I felt the tug, the familiar pull that my mother told me was the mating bond. Every time I tried to claim her as my mate someone or something interrupted us.

I sat watching the Northern Lights and thought of the life I would make with Amka. My wolf was oddly quiet. Usually, when I thought of her both me and my wolf would tremble and want to rut with her.

Maybe I just needed the quiet reflection of nature. Soaking up the peacefulness and my wolf needed that peacefulness as well.

What is the worst that would happen if I broke the contract?

“Hello, little wolf.” A man in heavy furs and traditional Native wear sat in a tree looking at me. I let out a growl, this human was a trespasser.

“Oh do not bare your teeth at me little wolf. I know your deepest thoughts and you are thinking very naughty thoughts.” The man smiled but it was more like baring his teeth.

You are trespassing on Frostfire territory. I stalked toward the man and let out another low growl. The man tilted his head and made a face.

“Frostfire? Is that what you call your pack? Aren’t you guys’ descendants from the Norse Gods or something?” He said it so flippantly that I could feel the insult in my bones, how dare he insult a Dire Wolf’s legacy.

I will snap your neck human. I will not have you insult my pack. I jumped up and the man disappeared and landed with a soft thud behind me. I turned and bared my fangs.

“I am not here to fight you little wolf, in fact, your kind are the trespassers and my people were here before yours.” The man shrugged and he was glaring at me.

I am going to enjoy ripping your throat out, interloper! I rarely let the berserker side of my wolf out, it was hard to control the blood lust once it was unleashed.

“You will do no such thing now sit and listen pup.” The man’s voice echoed throughout the forest and I was forced to sit in the cold snow.

I snarled and snapped, trying to fight the power that forced me to stay put. This was no ordinary human.

“Now that I have your attention, I advise you not to break that contract. If you do it is going to be bad for all of us.” I wasn’t going to listen to some strange man. Even if he did have Alpha powers.

That is for me to decide. Now release me I desire your flesh. The man shook his head and sighed.

“This happened a long time ago when one of your ancestors did not heed my warning. You are going to make a lot of people angry and there will be Hell to pay.” The man flicked his wrist and disappeared in a swirl of snow.

I stumbled and shook off the residual magic. The peacefulness of the forest now felt ominous and I just wanted to head back to the compound.

A familiar scent came to me in the air and ran toward it. Amka was home to me and I wanted to discuss the trespasser with her.

Bounding out of the woods I saw her standing with her sled team waiting for me. She smiled and my heart lit up. My wolf heart was still thirsting for blood.

Shifting into human form, she offered me some clothes and I gratefully took them. Slipping on the fur-lined clothes I shivered and drew her in for a hug.

“You smell good.” I nuzzled her hair and she laughed pushing me away. She cradled my face in her small hands and frowned.

“You are worried about something, tell me what happened Cadence.”

“There was a trespasser in the woods and he threatened me.” She tilted her head and looked at the forest.

“Really? I scent no one here but you and I, and Malcolm. You were very mean to him.” She smacked me in the chest and I caught her hand in mine.

“Are you calling me a liar my love?” My voice dropped and she moved closer. I could smell her arousal and I was immediately hard.

She must have been in heat and I wanted to take her here on the sled and claim her.

All thoughts of the trespasser were gone as I moved closer and growled softly in her ear.

“Why don’t I claim you as my mate now? “I pulled her hair aside and nibbled on her neck and she gasped.

“I don’t like the idea of getting frostbite on my ass Cade. Now tell me, what did this trespasser look like.” I growled and tamped down the lust clouding my brain.

“He had long black hair with beads and feathers in it and wore furs that looked like a wolf. Not our kind but regular wolf fur. He was talking about the contract and not breaking it. He forced my wolf to stay put and not attack him.” She pulled away and gasped.

“Oh, you shouldn’t have tried to attack him. You are lucky he didn’t harm you.” I laughed, who could harm me? The idea was ridiculous.

“Do not laugh at me, Cadence Jacobsen. You encountered the Inuit trickster God.” She was whispering now and I could smell her fear.

“Isn’t he far from his lands?” She hissed and slapped her hand over my mouth. She glanced around with wide eyes as if he were still listening.

“DO NOT BE DISRESPECTFUL! Amaguq is the spirit of the wolf. He is the one who watches over all wolves in the area.” Sighing, I knew that Amka was superstitious. Now she was being silly. We may claim our elders join the Wild Hunt.

That didn’t mean I believed in the old Gods, or any Gods for that matter. If the Gods listened to us, why did they dump us in a place where you have twenty-four hours of daylight in the summer and twenty-four hours of night in the winter?

“Can I go to your place?” I didn’t want to go back to my father’s place. The Faeling would be there and I didn’t want to deal with her.

She was probably some sickly creature that would faint if she had to do anything that was strenuous.

“No, you are going back to your place and meeting your bride.” I stared at Amka and saw that she was shut off now. That hurt me more than I thought it would.

“What do you mean no? I love you; you are my mate.” She shook her head and stared me in the eye.

“I never felt the mating bond with you.” The words hit me like a bullet and I turned my back on her. That shattered something in me.

I wasn’t even married yet and this stupid woman was ruining my life. She was going to pay dearly.