“I can’t believe that happened today.” With her arms crossed over her chest, Amelie stares out the living room window at Micah. He’s been on the phone for the past two hours, pacing the yard.
I grab a bottle of water out of the refrigerator and join her. It’s late, which means it’s dark outside, and anyone could be around. I scan the woods, wondering if I’ll see glowing eyes staring back at me. With these wolves being able to conceal their presence, there’s no telling where they are. Now I know how ordinary wolves feel about royals. I didn’t realize how intimidating it feels to know someone could sneak up on you. “Tell me about it. I thought I was getting close to freedom, but I couldn’t be further from it now.” I open my bottle and take a sip. The whole cabin smells like the chicken and pasta Amelie and I cooked tonight, but my stomach’s been too unsettled to eat.
Amelie snorts. “You got that right. You’re going to have the whole pack watching after you now.”
Groaning, I turn away from the window and sit on the couch. “Great. Just what I need.”
Micah’s footsteps pound up the front porch steps, and he comes through the door. Amelie joins me on the couch as we wait for the verdict. Micah looks at us both and sighs. “A meeting has been called with the surrounding pack alphas. They’re all going to be here in two days. If these bastards want to start a war, then so be it. They’ll lose.”
I lean my head against the couch, turning my focus to the wood beam ceiling. “So, what happens now? Am I on house arrest?”
The room falls silent, and I have my answer. There’s no sense in arguing because it’s not going to get me anywhere. When I drop my head to look at Micah, I can see the turmoil on his face. “I’m sorry, Faith. With these wolves being able to conceal themselves, it puts them at an advantage. I don’t want anything happening to you.”
I nod in understanding. “What are we going to do?”
He glances over at Amelie and then back to me. “I think it’s wise I stay here for a while. I know you don’t want me up your ass, but …”
I hold up a hand to cut him off. “Micah, it’s fine. You can stay here. We’ve lived together pretty much my whole life.” When we moved to Wyoming to join the Teton pack, he had a small cabin built close to mine. That way, I could have my own space, and he’d still be nearby.
Micah lifts his brows at Amelie. “Are you okay with me staying here?”
Amelie snorts. “I’m fine with it. I like having you around, especially when I win all your money at poker.”
I snicker and the mood in the room lifts. Micah chuckles and raises his arms in the air. “What can I say? I suck at it.”
“Speaking of cards,” I say, getting to my feet. “I think it’s time we break them out. I need something to get my mind off the shit going on in my life.”
Amelie stands and heads to the kitchen. “Sounds good. I’ll grab the kettle corn.”
Micah comes over to me, his blue gaze full of concern. “It won’t be like this forever, Faith. I promise. Just hang in there for a little while longer.”
“I could say the same to you. One day, I’ll be able to set you free.”
He nods. “Yeah, when you find a mate. I just pray to the goddess of the moon it’s not with one of the fucktards stalking you.”
A chill runs down my spine. “Let’s hope not.”
We spent a couple of hours playing card games, and Amelie beat Micah and me both every time. She doesn’t even need a job with all the money she wins from us. It’s now half past midnight, and I can barely keep my eyes open. Micah stayed downstairs for a while, most likely staring out the windows. He’s now in the guest bedroom, but I doubt he’ll get any sleep, just like I know I won’t.
I change out of my clothes into a pair of pajama shorts and a T-shirt. Watching TV isn’t going to help, so I lay on the bed and close my eyes. Being a wolf comes with many advantages, but those perks can also be nuisances. Take, for instance, hearing. I can listen to squirrels scurrying through the woods, the crickets chirping, and both Micah and Amelie’s heartbeats. It’s easy to shut off, but I’m on high alert.
When it’s apparent sleep isn’t going to come, I get up and pace the floor. Time seems to tick by slowly, but an hour has passed when I look at the clock. Sitting back down on the bed, I hang my head. I want to knock on Amelie’s door, but I can tell she’s asleep by the sound of her breathing. The same goes for Micah, which shocks me.
Lifting my head, I roll my neck and stretch out my arms. I have no choice but to try and sleep. Tossing the covers back, I slide into bed and bring the blankets over me. I close my eyes and block out the sounds all around me. It’s not long before sleep closes in on me when a noise startles me awake. I hold my breath and listen.
Footsteps. That’s all it is at first, but then their presence hits me like a ton of bricks to the chest. They want me to know how strong they are.
I suspect three alphas, one of whose scent I recognize from earlier. Orin. Only he’s not the strongest of the three. Heart racing, I jump out of bed as quietly as I can. I expect Micah to charge out of the bedroom, but there’s no movement coming from his room. His breaths are slow, just like his heartbeat. It’s not the sound of a wolf on alert. The same goes for Amelie. I tiptoe out of my room to hers and open her door. She’s passed out on the bed, and I rush over to her.
Grabbing her shoulders, I shake her and keep my voice low. “Amelie, wake up.” She doesn’t budge, and I know why. The second I touched her, I could feel the coldness all around her like she’s cloaked in it. Magic. “You have got to be kidding me.”
What terrifies me is Micah. I don’t like the thought of any kind of magic being able to take down a royal arctic. My pulse pounds even harder now as the footsteps edge closer. I hurry over to Micah and open the guest bedroom door. He’s on the floor with the sheets torn off the bed as if he grabbed them right before the magic took over. I slide across the floor and take his head in my hands.
“Micah, please, wake up. You can fight this. You’re one of the strongest wolves I know.” He doesn’t respond, which terrifies the hell out of me. The door to the cabin opens, and I can hear three men enter. I’m not afraid to fight them, but I worry about what will happen to Micah and Amelie. I refuse to leave them defenseless.
Slowly, I set Micah’s head down and get to my feet. The three men are still downstairs, casually walking around as if they own the place. None of them have tried to get me, which is odd because I’m positive they know I’m here. Before I can get to the door and step out, that’s when one of them calls out to me.
“We know you’re here, Faith. Might as well come down.” His voice is strong, dominant. But yet, he says my name with affection just like a lover would.
Clenching my fists, I take a deep breath. I’m not going down without a fight. With my head held high, I walk out of the bedroom to the stairs. All three of the men look up at me. Orin stands off to the left of the living room while another shifter stands off to the right, his power not as strong as Orin’s. They aren’t the ones who concern me; the guy in the middle does. He’s the one I saw in town first when I was with Amelie. Out of all three men, he’s by far the most powerful. His emerald green eyes bore into mine and he smiles.
“I’m happy to finally meet you, Faith. My name’s Killian.”
I stalk down the stairs, one at a time. “Whoever you are, you can cut the crap. I know why you’re here.”
His brows lift curiously. “You do?”
I cut a glance over at Orin and then back to him. “Yeah, Oreo, over there explained it all.”
The shifter to the right tries to hide his smile and fails while Orin’s jaw clenches. Killian smirks and shakes his head. “I’m sure you have a million questions. If you come with us, I’ll explain everything.”
A growl escapes my lips, and I can feel my fangs and claws start to lengthen. I’ve never killed another wolf before, but I’ll do it in a heartbeat. Killian notices the change and his grin widens. “We don’t want to hurt you, Faith.”
“You came into my home uninvited. Do you seriously expect me to believe that?”
A wolf’s howl echoes from the forest outside, and all three of them go on alert, their eyes glowing. I know that howl very well; it’s Cedric. Killian growls at Orin and the other guy and jerks his head toward the door. “They know we’re here. Go!”
Orin runs out and the other guy follows, both shifting into their wolves as they take off into the woods. While Killian’s distracted, I lunge for him, hoping to detain him long enough for my pack to arrive. He grabs me around the waist, and we tumble across the floor with him ending up above me, his body pressed into mine. Everything happened so fast it knocked the breath out of me.
Killian’s gaze locks on my lips, and I’m almost sure he’s going to kiss me, but he doesn’t. It’s a good thing because I’m prepared to rip off his lips with my teeth. I try to get out of his hold, but he’s too strong. “Do you know how many men want you?”
I narrow my eyes. “I don’t care who wants me. Trying to kidnap me isn’t the way to my heart.”
He chuckles. “That’s not what I’m doing here, Faith. I was hoping you would agree to come with me. Don’t you want to find your mate? It has to be hard with a protector following you around twenty-four-seven.”
“What I want is none of your business.”
“Oh, I think it is,” he says, breathing me in. “I can smell your desire to be free. I can give you your freedom.”
It’s as if he can see into my soul. There is a desire inside of me to be free. “What’s in it for you?” I ask.
He slowly slides off of me and takes my hand, helping me up. “I was hoping you could help me with that. No one is going to harm you if you come with me. On the contrary, you’ll be treated just as you are … a royal. Something to be cherished.”
Another howl sounds through the night, much closer than before. Killian starts for the door and stops, his glowing green gaze on mine. “You could have everything if you come with me. Think about it. I’ll be back for you.”
He takes off in a blur, and I suck in a breath. In the room above me, I can hear Micah’s heartbeat kick into overdrive. His steps race across the floor, and he’s downstairs in a flash along with Amelie. He helps me up, and I can see the desperation in his eyes.
“Are you okay? What happened?”
With Killian being able to put a wolf down with whatever magic he has protecting him, nothing can stop him from getting what he wants. I honestly don’t think I stand a chance against him.
“We need to come up with a game plan and fast.”