The Warlock Queen: Book 13 of the Grey Wolves Series

Prologue-2

“Cut yourself some slack, mate.” Jacquelyn’s wolf spoke through their bond. His wolf rumbled in response. He liked it when their she-wolf spoke to them.

“I would ask that you act as an ambassador for our pack,” Fane said to Lucian. “I realize the ceremony ended with little discussion among the other packs. They may have questions,” Fane explained. “I don’t have a lot of answers at the moment, but perhaps letting them know that they aren’t going to be hung out to dry would go a long way in keeping the peace.”

His mate’s ears perked up at this. “What do you mean keeping the peace?” Jacquelyn practically growled.

Slate stirred in Fane’s arms, and he bounced the boy gently as he met his mate’s fierce gaze. Apparently, she felt extra protective of him and their pack.

“He means,” Disir, the high fae spoke up, “that there will likely be plenty of alphas that are none-to-happy about being told to submit to a new authority. The Great Luna made your mate the alpha over ALL alphas. That is going to be a difficult thing for some of them to accept.”

“It’s a mouthful of humble pie for them,” Peri added. “It’s wise for you to reassure them that you aren’t just going to waltz in and start giving orders.”

Fane nodded, his eyes still on his mate’s. “Do not worry, Luna. I will be fine.”

Jen seemed to have gathered herself as she sat up straight and wiped her cheeks. “Are you saying there will be more challenges than just those from these mysterious, cowardly packs that have been hiding out all these years?” Jen met his eyes for three seconds and then dropped her gaze to Slate.

“Some might,” Fane said. “Alphas don’t submit easily.”

“But you’re more dominant than them, right?” Jacquelyn asked.

“I am.” Fane wasn’t being conceited; it was a fact. “Lucian is also more dominant than most, if not all, of them, as is Decebel.”

“Are you going to try to reach out to the unknown packs?” Sally asked. She’d moved to the love seat, Titus now asleep in her lap.

“I haven’t decided,” Fane answered. “That is something I will be seeking council on from this group, but I don’t think it’s a discussion for tonight.”

“Agreed.” Jacquelyn patted Jen’s hand and stood to take her place by Fane’s side. She took Slate from him and addressed the room. “We all need rest in order to think clearly. The pups are exhausted, and our emotions are running high. Let’s meet again in a couple of days. Any decisions that need to be made can be addressed at that time.”

Fane placed a hand on her back and ran it up and down her spine. His wolf needed the touch as much as the man did.

“We stayed behind because we wanted to offer some protection to your pack,” Disir spoke again. “We can put a ward around the forest that circles your mansion. If you have wolves that don’t live here, we can also ward their homes.” He glanced at the ground, his face suddenly downcast. “If we had offered our power sooner, things might be different.”

“We should have done something, and if we had heeded Peri’s warnings…” Gwen said.

“No,” Fane said firmly. “What has come to pass is as it should be. We may not like it or understand it, but I don’t doubt the Great Luna’s plans, even if at the moment they hurt. However, we would greatly appreciate the protection now, especially while my pack is dealing with such a significant loss.”

Fane was familiar with regret, but he was also learning that it served no purpose other than to keep them from moving forward. Regret could freeze you in your tracks faster than stepping into freshly poured concrete. Fane drew his cell phone from his pocket and pulled up a list of grouped contacts. It was all the pack members that were living off the pack property. “I just sent Peri the addresses of all our pack members that don’t live in the mansion,” he explained.

Peri took out her phone, and it dinged with the confirmation of receiving his message.

“Thank you.” Jacquelyn’s voice rang with sincerity. “It means the world to us.”

“It’s the least we can do,” Disir said.

The four high fae flashed from the room.

“They will place the ward from outside,” Peri explained. “After, they will go to each home tonight and place the appropriate protections.”

“What does the ward do?” Crina asked.

“Alert those inside to evil and thwart any attempts to enter the premises. It will keep out most supernaturals, though Alston, Ludcarab, and whoever the new vampire king is might be exceptions to that, especially if they use their combined power,” she explained. “I’ll talk to Thadrick about seeing if we can get some djinn power to add to our own.”

“We would appreciate it,” Fane said. “Now I think it’s time we call it a night.”

There were tired nods throughout the room. Fane watched as the girls hugged one another. There were more tears, though they quickly wiped them away.

When everyone else had left the office, only Fane, Jacquelyn, and Slate remained. The room suddenly felt as if it was closing in on the new alpha. His mate sensed it, and she quickly tucked her arm in his and pulled him toward the door.

“Let’s get our little man down, and then I could use a shower,” she said as she opened the door.

Fane felt as if he was moving in a drug-induced stupor. By the time they made it to their suite, he couldn’t even remember walking there. Jacquelyn took Slate from his arms and went into the nursery, where Fane watched her tuck Slate in and turn on the small fan to create a gentle hum.

When she returned to the main living area, Fane still stood there, unsure of what to do with himself.

“Why am I able to act like a functioning wolf when I’m in front of our pack, but the moment I am alone, I’m like a broken robot?” he asked her as she undressed him.

“Because out there”—she motioned to the door—“that’s who they need you to be. But with me, you can be vulnerable.”

Once he was naked, she pulled him toward their room and their bathroom. She quickly undressed, and it said something about where his emotions were that he wasn’t pouncing on her. It feels like an eternity since we’ve made love to him, he thought, which of course she heard through their bond.

“There’s plenty of time for that,” his mate said with a coy smile.

His wolf perked up as he thought, Is there, though? How much time do we really have left in this life, his beast asked. How many more times will we have to love our female?

Fane’s eyes roamed over his mate’s lovely form. Her soft skin called to him, and her scent suddenly filled the small space. A different, yet familiar ache arose within him, temporarily putting aside his grief and concern over what was to come.

She turned on the water and checked the temperature as he stepped up behind her. Fane rested his hands on her hips and then ran them around her to her stomach. He felt the goosebumps rise on her skin as she shivered.

He leaned down until his lips were next to her ear. “I need you,” he said, his voice thick with the sound of his wolf.

Jacquelyn leaned back into him, the flesh of her back touching his chest only making him want to be closer to her. He turned her and reached down, placing his hands under her thighs and then lifted her, making her wrap her legs around his waist.

She stared into his eyes and the love, devotion, and need that he saw there broke his control. The moment she felt it through their bond, she leaned her head back, exposing her throat. Fane lunged forward and let his teeth sink into the bite mark she would forever bear, marking her as his mate.

He stepped into the shower and pressed her against the tile wall. Fane let go of everything he’d been focusing on and gave his mate his full attention. And he greedily asked for her full attention in return. She didn’t disappoint.

“I love you,” she whispered as he finally released her neck and tilted his head to the side, inviting her to remark him. Fane placed his hand on the back of her head, pushing her face toward his neck, needing to feel her possessive bite.

As her teeth sank into him, he pulled her tighter against him. “You are my everything.”

Sally tucked Titus into bed and pressed a kiss to his forehead. “Please give him pleasant dreams,” she prayed to the Great Luna. “He deserves them.” She closed the door behind her, leaving a small gap to allow a sliver of light to penetrate the darkness of his room.

When she entered her bedroom, Sally found her mate laying shirtless on their bed, his arms behind his head as he stared up at the ceiling. Her mind drifted back to a different time when she’d found this male on her bed shirtless, and she couldn’t help but smile at the memory. It was the first time they’d ever slept in the same bed, and all they had done was sleep … sort of. She grumbled as she remembered some of the mental thoughts he’d shared with her, including the comments he’d made about her chest.

“It still stands true, Sally-mine,” he said as he picked up on her thoughts. “There is a shortage of perfect breasts in the world. It would be a pity to damage yours,” he said with a wicked grin.

“We were not yet mated. Just because you wrapped your comments into a movie quote doesn’t justify them.” She scolded him with a glare she knew was completely ineffectual.

“It’s a classic and so is the line.” Costin shrugged. “Not to mention it makes you blush anytime I say breasts, especially regarding yours. It’s a win-win for me.”

Sally rolled her eyes, and her cheeks heated because she knew he was right. Even after all this time, and all the intimacy between them, he still embarrassed her with his suggestive words.

“It’s endearing, brow—” he began but stopped himself.

Sally flinched and then ground her teeth. The Order had taken something that had once been so precious to her. Costin’s nicknames for her were like verbal caresses against her skin. They were special and only for her. She didn’t want him to have to censor himself because of… she pushed the thought from her mind. The memories of Jericho were still there, and it would be beyond bad for Costin to pick up any of those through their bond.

He sat up and motioned for her to come to him. Sally walked over and climbed onto the bed, moving until he could wrap an arm around her waist and pull her on top of him. She braced her hands on his shoulders and looked down into his hazel eyes.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I’m not bothered because I can’t use the endearment. I’m bothered that it hurts you when I slip up and let it come out, which means I cause you pain. It kills me and my wolf to cause you any more pain than you’ve already experienced.”

Sally pressed a hand over his heart. “It’s not you who causes me pain,” Sally said. “It’s just a part of life. We experience pain, and because of that it makes the joy that much sweeter.”

Costin ran a finger down her cheek, his touch feather light. “And you can remember the joy, despite all that you have been through?”

“The joy has helped me survive all of that stuff,” she told him. Sally let her mind fill with every joyous moment in her life. She started with her childhood, when Jen and Jacque had become a part of her life. Flooding their bond with the memories, Sally also let him feel the emotions the memories evoked. She showed him how she’d felt the first time she’d laid eyes on him, the confusion and realization that he was going to be someone very important to her. Her last memory was of him holding Titus as he read their boy a story.