Chapter One
New Orleans had been his home for as long as he could remember. Neither an Alpha nor beta, Jake had always taken orders from his leaders, supported the pack. But the New York Alpha, Jax Chandler, had challenged his reality, opening his eyes. He’d spoken the truth that Jake had long suspected but had chosen to ignore. Alpha.
After the corrupt San Diego Alpha had been killed, Jake had been temporarily assigned to lead the Anzober Wolves. What had begun as a chore had ended as an opportunity. He’d loved the pack as his own, discovering his abilities to lead. But ultimately, he’d made the hard decision to return to New Orleans. Home on Acadian soil, the urge to battle his way into leadership could no longer be subdued. Destiny nagged at him, beckoning him like a siren’s song.
A symphony of insects sang in the night, drowning out thoughts of California as the black wolf ran wild through the bayou. Gaining on the Alpha, Jake’s feral instinct twisted through him. His claws scraped at the dirt, the earthy scent of the swamp in the air. Dimitri, the beta, growled as Jake sped past him. Logic warned Jake not to attack his Alpha. Fighting Logan would end in one of their deaths. There was no other outcome. His humanity warred with the dominance that rose to the surface, demanding his wolf take his rightful place. Attack, the voice demanded, hurling him toward Logan. Determined to thwart the aggression, Jake veered to the left and broke from the pack.
The hum of the Acadian pack echoed in the night, the din slowly dissipating as he distanced himself. Forcing a shift, Jake dug his fingers into the damp dirt. On his hands and knees, he heaved for breath as the realization set in that he’d have to leave New Orleans. Jake wiped the sweat from his forehead, smearing the mud across his skin. The earth of his ancestors soothed his turbulent mind.
A stifled cry caught his attention, and he pressed to his feet. He traversed the brush, stealth in the night. The hair on his neck pricked in awareness. A vaguely familiar citrus scent permeated the air. It registered as feminine, but Jake couldn’t identify her breed. Not human, the creature whimpered as if she were. Who the hell is at my house?
As he stepped into the yard, the motion lights outside his cabin flickered, revealing her creamy white skin. The fragile figure stretched her hands forward, and gave a small sob as she gasped for breath. Her face was concealed, thick jet black hair feathered down her back, brushing over her buttocks.
“Hey, you all right?” Jake asked, cautious as she lifted her head and her green eyes blinked up at him with fear.
“I…I’m not…” she whispered.
His protective instinct rushed through him and he padded toward her. Yet as he drew closer, his beast growled. Logic told him the weakened creature couldn’t harm him but his wolf continued to warn him away. Dangerous.
“I don’t know how you got here but maybe you…” Jake’s voice faltered as she began to quiver before him. He watched in fascination as her human figure illuminated before his eyes, her skin glossed in a fine gold sheen. What the hell?
“Stay away,” she hissed, covering her breasts with her arm. “I can’t…I can’t control…”
“You’re no wolf. Not that I thought you were…” Jake didn’t know what the fuck she was, but at this particular moment it didn’t matter.
He detected unfamiliar magick, the air thickening as the seconds passed. The luminescent aura emanated from the beauty and her eyes flashed to red, threatening his wolf. Jake shifted, sensing the impending attack, and growled in response. He went to lunge, but confusion swept over him as he struggled to run, stumbling, paralysis halting his movement.
“Ilsbeth,” she whimpered.
Jesus fucking Christ, Jake thought to himself. Ilsbeth. The high priestess. At the mention of her name, he regretted letting the bitch live. She’d inflicted so much pain and darkness over the years. The last time he’d seen the damn witch, she’d been barely alive, lying naked in a New York State forest. Jake had contemplated leaving her to die, and reasoned killing her would have done the world a favor. But his conscience had set in and he’d shown mercy by giving her to Jax.
Thoughts of Ilsbeth dissipated as the stranger collapsed onto the dirt, her flesh returning to its creamy essence. As she appeared freed of her spell, Jake sped toward her, unsure if he’d save or kill her. He snarled, nudging at her hair with his snout, urging her to rouse. Jake sniffed, scenting the once-gilded creature. She smelled of sweet citrus, and while she was not a wolf, his beast stirred with interest.
Shifting to human, he knelt before her, detecting a faint heartbeat. He considered calling in the pack but as he went to touch her, leaves rustled, a wind kicking up around them. What the fuck is it now? Within the blink of an eye, the ancient vampire materialized in front of him. Quintus Tullius.
“What in the hell are you doing here?” Jake jumped to his feet, and plowed his fingers through his messy hair.
“I have no quarrel with you, wolf. The charm is mine,” Quintus told him, his Italian accent barely noticeable as he spoke.
“Look I don’t know what the hell kind of charm you think this one is but let me just tell you, she’s no prize,” Jake replied as the vampire knelt to reach the girl.
“She’s no concern of yours. I will take care of her.” Quintus carefully lifted her into his arms, and pressed to his feet.
“You can’t just take her. Her pulse is weak. We’ve got to get her to the hospital. I don’t know what the hell she is but she’s no wolf or vamp. She lit up like a Christmas tree five minutes ago, so yeah, not human either.”
“How did she get here?” the vampire asked, focused on the injured woman. His hand gently cupped her flushed cheek.
“How the hell am I supposed to know? I’m running in the woods, and I hear this crying and then…”
“Did you hurt her?” Quintus spat.
“Did I hurt her? Are you fucking serious?” Jake shook his head and glanced behind him. He could hear the pack not too far off in the distance.
“She’s not well. Look at this.” Quintus gently presented her pale wrist, revealing a crusted scab.
“Is that a brand?” Jake spied the puncture wounds; the blackened edges appeared to have been burnt onto her skin.
“She’s been bitten by something. I don’t know what,” Quintus hedged, eying the wolf. “Or should I say by whom.”
“Hey now.” Jake held his hands up in the air defensively. “First of all, I had nothing to do with those bites. If you’re thinking I forced myself on her, you’re dead wrong. She’s the one who attacked me. You should have seen what she did to me right before you flashed in like goddamned Léopold.”
“Wolves. The lot of you are nothing more than animals.” Quintus carefully inspected her arms.
“Now just hold on a damn minute, blood sucker. I just told you I didn’t do a…ugh, Goddess…what the…” Jake cringed as the vampire dragged his tongue over her wrist. “For the love of all that is holy, would you stop with the licking?”
“Mind your own business.” Quintus glared at him.
“Look, I know you’re like how old? Thousands of years? Maybe you date back to the dinosaurs? Tell me, did you ever hear of a doctor? It’s a thing us uncivilized animals use on humans when someone gets injured in New Orleans.”
“You know nothing of this creature,” Quintus told him.
“Yeah well, I don’t need to know. Now how about you put her down?” Jake suggested. “Logan’s already on his way. I can feel him.”
“This isn’t your issue, wolf.”
“Like hell it isn’t. Some hot chick shows up on my property.” Jake gestured to his home, then focused on Quintus. “Yeah, bite boy. This is my place, not yours. Or hers. That one right there.” Jake pointed to the girl. “She shows up naked to the party and right before she freezes me into place with her death stare, which by the way, was some freaky ass shit, she glows.”
Jake noted the vampire’s impassive expression, and his curiosity peaked. “So you know, then?”
“I told you, she’s special.”
“Special, huh? More like lethal. But get this. Guess who glow girl asks for?”
“It’s none of your concern.”
“Ilsbeth.” As if he’d called on the devil himself, Jake’s stomach clenched at the sound of her name. Ilsbeth wielded dark magick and despite her weakened state, he wouldn’t put it past her to conjure a spell if she heard her name from his lips. Detecting surprise on the vampire’s smug face gave Jake a twinge of delight, and he laughed.
“Ilsbeth?” Quintus asked, an eyebrow cocked.
“The witch is an oldie but goodie, right?” Jake stepped toward Quintus, closing the distance between them. There was no way in hell he was letting him take the girl before he had a chance to question her.
“You must have heard wrong…” The vampire glared at the wolf. He moved backwards, his focus briefly drawn to the woods.
“Yeah, that would be a negative. I’ve got pretty good hearing, ya know? I’m a wolf…kind of comes with the territory.” He smirked.
“It doesn’t matter what she said. She was hurt. There’s no way she’d…” Quintus glanced down to her limp body, and back up to Jake. “She shouldn’t have come here.”
“And why is that, Quint? Enlighten me, would you?”
“Thank you for not killing her. You could have easily done so. Or let the pack have at her. I will speak to her about this,” Quintus said.
“Will you now? How about I speak to her myself? Because that’s going to happen,” Jake assured him.
“Despite our quarrel in New York, you have shown honorable qualities this evening. But you must leave this be. Forget you ever saw her.”
“I have no fight with you, Quintus. But her, well, I’m afraid you can’t take her. You see, whatever is going on with Ilsbeth, that’s always my business.”
“The witch is not here. Jax has taken care of…”
“Ah, so you know. I found Ilsbeth and gave her to Jax. Now what he did exactly, I don’t know. To be honest, I kinda washed my hands of all of it. Until now. No, that girl there,” Jake paused and nodded at the injured female, “she just became my business. She stays here until I’m satisfied she’s not wrapped up in something with the witch.”
“Sorry, mate. Say goodbye.” Quintus bared his fangs and hissed. “Don’t make me do something I’ll regret.”
“Really? Y’all think you’re badass with your sharp teeth? Ohh…scary.” Jake gave a sarcastic laugh. “And just when I thought we were becoming friends, ya gotta vamp out on me. You know, I really do owe you for the shit you put me through in New York. All right then, let’s do this. I’m ready to throw down with your ass.”
Jake shifted to wolf, and lunged for Quintus, aiming to latch onto his calf. As his jaws snapped shut, he caught nothing but air.
Fucking vampire. Jake snarled, aware it’d been a longshot. Only the oldest of vampires like Quintus had the capability to materialize to another location. Jake had no idea who the woman was but it had been obvious that Quintus knew exactly who and what she was. It also was apparent the vampire had no idea about her involvement with Ilsbeth.
Jake’s attention was drawn to rustling leaves. Logan and Dimitri barked, alerting him to their presence. Forcing his beast to the recesses of his mind, Jake shifted to his human form, and they quickly followed his lead. As he pressed onto his feet, he spied a small chain curled into the mud. Jake reached for the ground and grasped the dull metal. The tarnished necklace appeared to be nothing special; a single flattened pendant dangled from the delicate cable. He rubbed his thumb over it, cleaning off the dirt. No lettering or initials were inscribed yet he suspected it belonged to the woman.
As his thoughts raced, Jake struggled to conceal his anger. Whatever this strange woman’s connection to Ilsbeth, he needed to know. He told himself to let it go, but there was something about her that he couldn’t shake. The damn vampire knew something but hadn’t given him answers. Ablaze with curiosity, he grew determined to find out how she was tied up with Ilsbeth, why she’d come to him in New Orleans.
“I think it’s about time we had a talk,” Logan said, breaking his contemplation.
“I’m sorry, man.” A sense of loss settled in his gut. He’d thought he’d have more time…more time to accept leaving New Orleans, leaving Acadian Wolves. But as he padded toward his home, sensing Logan and Dimitri on his heels, the end drew near.