Chapter One

 

Tulip tentatively pushed on the door of her cell. It opened with a loud creak that made her wince and she checked the dungeon entrance for approaching soldiers. There had been a shift in the air, and for a moment, it felt like the magick of the dungeon had dissipated. Since Onyxhad died at the hands of a wolf pack, she’d been confined to this cage, left to rot. The palace dungeons were spelled to keep even the most powerful fae under lock and key, but for whatever reason, the spells had failed. Tulip crept from her cell and to the large arched doorway that led to freedom.

Her body was weak, and her legs barely held her. Her hands shook as she felt along the dark, damp walls in her search for freedom, the slick stones scraping against her palms. The hair hanging in her face was matted and dirty, and grime covered the rest of her body. It had been months since she’d been put in the dungeon, maybe longer. Time had passed slowly, even for a fae. Taking away her freedom, and locking her in the dark, was cruel for someone who would live for thousands of years. She had little doubt they’d have left her down here for a few hundred years or longer, before remembering she was a prisoner.

As she pressed her back against the wall, Tulip opened her senses and tried to feel for any vibrations in the air that would signal someone’s approach. The dungeons remained cold and silent. Creeping around the corner, she stepped into the corridor and looked around for any signs of nearby soldiers. The place was empty. A shiver raked her spine as she took in the changes to the dark palace. The tapestries hung on the wall like specters and dust covered every surface. Had it been abandoned? Had she been abandoned?

Tulip didn’t dare breathe a sigh of relief just yet, and made her way through the palace and out to freedom. Darkness clung to the palace walls, shadows reaching for her. The air was damp and suffocating; the must from unused rooms surrounded her.  She eased through the door and into the courtyard, a place once filled with life and now covered in death and decay. There wasn’t a living soul around, so Tulip closed her eyes and willed herself to the mortal realm, her thoughts on the Ashton Grove pack and safety––and ended up straight in the middle of a bar fight.

The force of a male body slammed her to the sticky floor, the floor hard and unforgiving beneath her slight frame. She cried out as pain rattled her from head to toe. She’d been without magick for so long that she didn’t know if she’d be able to heal herself or not, already feeling bruises form along her hips and back. She shoved at the brute on top of her when he was suddenly lifted and tossed aside. Tulip looked up into the gaze of the most attractive male she’d ever seen. Dark blonde hair fell across his forehead and stormy blue eyes peered down at her. Tattoos peeked out of his shirt and she felt the urge to trace them with her fingers.

Then his eyes flashed yellow, and his fangs lengthened. Tulip let out a small squeak as she scurried away from him, putting a table between them, and nearly falling in her haste. Her legs trembled from the effort of holding herself upright. What she needed was a bath, food, and rest. Lots of rest. She’d been too scared to sleep in the dungeon, for fear things would creep into her cell and nibble at her fingers and toes.

“Fae,” he snarled.

“I’m not here to cause trouble.” She put her up hands. “I need your help.”

He growled and two more wolves joined him, their eyes flashing with anger. She could understand why they wouldn’t trust her kind, after what was done to the alpha’s mate, but it hadn’t been her fault. She’d heard of the plot against Autumn and had done everything in her power to stop Onyx, landing her in the dark fae palace dungeon.

“Why would we help you?” one of them snarled.

“Please, if I could just speak with your alpha.” Her lower lip trembled and she fought back tears. The emotional and mental stress from the last few months was starting to take its toll. The last thing she wanted to do was fall apart in front of the wolves. She needed to be strong. She was strong! But there was only so much a fae could take without feeling a little bit broken. Tulip straightened her shoulders. She hadn’t come this far to fail now.

“You think tears are going to spare you?” the hunky wolf asked.

“I–”

He snarled at her and leapt across the table, grasping her in a tight grip. Pain ricocheted through her body from his rough treatment and she couldn’t stop the whimper that escaped her lips. Tears pricked her eyes as she stared up at the handsome wolf. It hardly seemed fair that someone so attractive was so vicious. Or maybe it was only because she was fae. She’d hoped the wolves would be understanding, that they would hear her out. Now she wondered if she’d made a mistake. Perhaps she should have run to the light fae and begged for mercy. A swift death would have been preferable to whatever torture the dark fae had planned for her.

“I’ll call the alphas,” one of the other wolves said. “They’ll want to speak with her.”

The third wolf growled low. “I say we tear her apart. Her kind would have done worse to Autumn.”

Tulip’s heart raced as fear coursed through her veins. They wouldn’t really harm her, would they? She’d thought the wolves in Ashton Grove were civilized. Had she been wrong to come here? She’d willed her magick to bring her to the wolves and safety, and it had chosen this bar and the unfriendly wolves in front of her.

She stared up at the wolf holding her and willed him to see her for who she truly was, and not just an evil dark fae. Tulip had never done anything wrong a day in her very long life. It wasn’t her fault she’d been born amongst the dark fae. Her mother had protected her as much as she could, but Tulip had always felt like an outsider amongst her people.

“I’m not like the others,” she told the wolf softly. “You have no reason to trust me, but I honestly mean no harm to anyone in your pack. I have nowhere else to go and need your help.”

“Why would we help you?” he asked harshly.

She wiggled in his grasp. “Please. I’ll show you, but you have to release me.”

His grip loosened and she turned, lifting her hair. She heard his gasp a moment before a callused finger traced the ridges where her wings had once been. She hadn’t seen them, could only feel the pain, but she knew the puckered, angry skin had to look ghastly.

“This is what happens to a fae when she betrays her people,” Tulip said softly. “I did everything in my power to free the light fae, and tried to stop Onyx from coming after your alpha female. This was my reward, along with a trip to the dungeon, where I would have been left to rot until they got around to torturing and killing me.”

She turned to face him, seeing the conflicted look in his eyes.

“I’ll take you to Gabriel,” he said. “It will be up to him as to what’s to be done with you. I can’t imagine he’ll like having a fae anywhere near Autumn. She’s due any day now.”

“Due?” Tulip asked, not certain what he meant.

“She’s expecting,” the wolf said. “The baby should arrive any day.”

“You have my word that I mean her no harm, but I can’t promise others won’t come after me. Once they realize I’m gone, they’ll search every realm until I’m found.” Assuming any of her people were left. With the palace abandoned, she wasn’t so sure there were any dark fae left. Had the light fae come and wiped them out?

“Then why did you come here?” the wolf asked.

“I hoped your pack would help me. You beat Onyx, so I thought you could offer me protection.”

The other two wolves moved closer. She glanced at them and wondered if she was winning them over, or if they still meant to harm her. Even death at their hands would be merciful compared to what would happen when the dark fae soldiers caught up with her. Anything was better than that.

The wolf’s touch eased its bruising grip. “I’m Vaughn.  This is Finn and Levi,” he said, introducing the other two. “I can’t promise the alpha will listen to you, but I’ve never harmed a female in my life, and I don’t intend to start now. Even if you are fae.”

Her heart slowed and she nodded her understanding. Tulip took a step and nearly collapsed. The wolf cursed and swung her up into his arms.

“You don’t weigh enough,” he grumbled as he carried her out of the bar. The night air felt warm against her skin and she breathed in the scents. It had been so long since she’d smelled anything other than death that she’d almost forgotten how sweet a summer night could be.

Tulip leaned her head against his shoulder and relaxed in his embrace. How long had it been since someone had touched her with anything other than anger? It felt nice, even if he didn’t completely trust her. Fatigue pulled at her, but she fought to stay awake. It would be foolish to think she was safe just yet, but something about being in Vaughn’s arms made her want to curl tighter against him.

They stopped beside a large, black…She thought it was called a truck, and she heard a beep. He held her close as one of the other wolves opened the front passenger door. Vaughn eased her down onto the seat and she winced as pain shot through her hips and back. The wolf put some weird strap across her and clicked it into place. She wondered if he thought she might escape and it was some form of restraint. Tulip had never been in a human vehicle before, even though she’d seen them. It was amazing the things humans had created over the last few hundred years.

When Vaughn slid into the seat next to her, she saw him pull the same strap across himself. So, he wasn’t trying to keep her from escaping. It must have been some sort of safety feature. He turned a key and the truck roared to life. The two back doors slammed and she looked over her shoulder to see Finn and Levi in the back. Either they’d all arrived together, or they didn’t trust her not to kill Vaughn on the way to the alpha’s house. It was laughable that they thought she could harm the huge wolf, especially in her condition. The bugs buzzing outside of the window weren’t even in danger from her.

She gave a slight gasp as the truck started to move and gripped the door. Vaughn gave her a curious look before looking back at the road. She knew wolves had excellent eyesight, but it still worried her that he was travelling at what felt like high speed in the dark of night, with very little light to illuminate the way.

Tulip held up a shaky hand, palm out toward the windshield, and willed there to be more light. The ball of light surrounded the truck and spread a good ten feet all around it. It wasn’t as strong a light as she once could have cast, but it was better than nothing. She saw Vaughn’s lips twitch as if he fought back a smile, but he didn’t seem fazed by her show of magick.

“First time in a truck?” he asked.

“Yes. Are you sure it’s safe?”

He chuckled. “You’re not going to get hurt on the ride to the alpha’s house. Can’t promise the same for when we arrive.”

Of course not. Especially if his alpha was as angry with her people as Vaughn had been when he’d learned her identity. Would the alpha give her a chance to speak, or would he just rip out her throat at first sight? Uneased skittered down her spine and she wondered if she’d be able to protect herself, if it came down to it. As weak as she was, it might be best to surrender to the alpha and let him do what he wanted with her. She had to trust that if he married a Halfling, then he couldn’t hate all fae. She just had to convince him that she was nothing like Onyx. Tulip just didn’t know how.

The truck pulled up in front of a quaint looking home, nothing as large as the palace, but not overly small either. Vaughn unfastened the belt across him and reached over to unclick hers as well. It took her a moment to figure out how to open the door and she stepped out onto the grass beside the truck, her legs nearly giving way. Vaughn was beside her instantly, lifting her into his arms again. If being weak meant he carried her everywhere, she wasn’t certain she looked forward to regaining her strength. Being in his arms was nice.

“You reek,” Finn said.

Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. “I’m sorry. I’ve been locked up since the attack on your alpha female. They don’t exactly allow baths down there.”

“Or food apparently,” Vaughn muttered. “You feel like skin and bones.”

“Fae can go years without food before slowly dying. How long since the attack?” she asked.

“Nine months, roughly.”

“It felt longer,” she said softly.

They stopped on the porch in front of a pretty door and Levi rang the bell. A tall, imposing wolf with a scarred face and arms answered the door. He scented the air and growled softly.

“What did you do to her?” the alpha asked.

“She came to us this way,” Vaughn answered. “We didn’t know what you wanted to do with her. She’s dark fae. Our enemy.”

The alpha reached out and tipped her chin up, looking into her eyes, as if he were trying to see her soul. She stared back, hoping he wouldn’t see her as a threat to be put down. The minutes ticked by and finally he took a step back, allowing them entry into his home.

“Are you here to harm my mate?” he asked.

“No. I came seeking asylum,” Tulip answered.

“Asylum from what?” the alpha asked.

“My people. They imprisoned me when I tried to help the light fae. When I learned of his plan, I tried to stop Onyx from coming after your mate, and when that failed, I tried to set the light fae free; they were trapped in the dungeons. All I’ve ever wanted is peace between the light and dark fae, but we’ve been at war for thousands of years.”

“Can you stand?” the alpha asked.

Vaughn eased her down his body until her feet touched the floor, but his hands remained on her. She leaned into him a little, even though she couldn’t explain what it was about the wolf that made her feel safe. He’d threatened her, and still, she wanted to be closer to him. From what she knew of wolves, they were honorable and cared deeply for their mates. The same couldn’t be said of the fae.

“She’s weak,” Vaughn said.

“I say we kill her now,” Finn said with a growl to his voice.

“No!” The alpha glared at Finn. “We don’t kill innocent women.”

“She’s fae!” Finn yelled.

“So is my mate. Do you want to kill her too?” the alpha asked.

The wolves fell silent and a redhead came out of the other room. Her stomach looked like it might pop at any moment and Tulip assumed she was the alpha female. Autumn. The woman moved closer and placed a hand on the alpha’s arm.

“Gabriel, what’s going on?” Autumn asked.

“She wants asylum.”

“What she needs is a bath and a good meal,” Autumn said. “The poor thing can barely stand and you’re all standing around yelling at one another.”

Tulip wanted to smile a little at Autumn’s words, but she refrained. The last thing she needed to do was anger anyone again. They might mistake her amusement. Tulip shifted and fell back against Vaughn. His grip tightened on her a moment, then eased once she had her balance again.

“Take her upstairs,” Gabriel said. “Run a bath for her and I’ll see if I can find something for her to wear.”

“Nothing of mine will fit her,” Autumn said.  “Not even my pre-pregnancy clothes. If I had to guess, I’d say, in her half-starved condition, she’s probably an extra small.”

“I might be too skinny for my frame,” Tulip said. “But I’m a long way from dying.”

“You can barely stand,” Vaughn said.

“I just need some rest and I’ll be fine,” Tulip said. “I haven’t slept for nine months. Not really. I dozed off here and there, but I always jolted awake shortly after. It wasn’t safe to sleep.”

Autumn looked at Vaughn. “Go buy her some clothes. She’ll need pajamas, maybe some summer dresses, under things, and get a pair of flip flops for now. I can take her shoe shopping when she feels better.”

“Under things?” Vaughn asked, sounding less than pleased.

“Do I need to spell it out?” Autumn asked. “Get her a package of panties, probably the smallest size they have in the women’s department, and…” She stared at Tulip’s chest, then scurried out of the room only to return a moment later with a tape measure. She looped it around Tulip just under her breasts. “A 32 B bra. That should fit. If not, I’ll go out tomorrow and pick up something else for her.”

“I don’t need a bra,” Tulip said. “I’ve never worn one.”

That silenced everyone for a moment.

“Why are you sending Vaughn?” Finn asked.

Autumn narrowed her eyes, but Gabriel growled.

“You’re questioning my mate?” the alpha asked.

Finn paled. “No, alpha. I was just surprised. It isn’t like Vaughn has any attachment to the fae.”

Gabriel and Autumn shared a look and a brief smile, which made Tulip wonder if they knew something she didn’t. Vaughn didn’t move away, even though he’d been given orders to go shopping. His hand was still warm against her hip, helping her remain upright.

“Vaughn,” Gabriel said, “would you please help the fae to the room at the top of the stairs?”

“My name’s Tulip,” she said.

“I’m Gabriel and my mate’s name is Autumn,” the alpha said.

Vaughn lifted her into his arms again and carried her upstairs. He walked toward the bed but she stopped him, not wanting to make the pretty bedding dirty.

“Just prop me against the counter in the bathroom. If you could help me get the water started, I can do the rest.”

“Are you sure you wouldn’t prefer a bath? What if you fall?” he asked.

She smiled a little at the change in him now that she’d been accepted by his alpha. Gone was the hostile, growly wolf, and now he was being considerate. It seemed she’d been right in her assumption his treatment of her had only been due to her status as a dark fae, and one of his enemies. And she couldn’t fault him for that.

“If I take a bath, the water will be filthy the moment I sit down.”

Vaughn sighed but started the shower, testing the water with his hand. He gave her a long look before stepping out of the bathroom and pulling the door shut. Tulip looked at her reflection and winced. Her hair lay in greasy strands, with bits of debris from the dungeons clinging to them. Was that…she reached out and plucked out a mouse bone and shivered.

She removed her dress and let it fall to the floor. It would probably need to be burned it smelled so bad. Then holding tightly on to the wall, she stepped into the shower and sighed as the warm water drenched her. Looking down, she saw the dirt running off her body and swirling down the drain, and she wondered just how much soap she’d have to use before she felt clean again.

A tear slipped down her cheek.  She was safe, at least for the moment. Tulip washed her body and scrubbed her hair three times before lying down in the bottom of the shower, just letting the water pelt her. It was soothing and lulled her to sleep, her eyes sliding closed as her body lay cocooned in the warm spray and puffs of steam that rose around her.