Prologue
Seth Masters traveled down the winding, rain-slicked road with a heavy heart. He’d felt powerless, as he had witnessed his friend struggle through yet another loss. Sometimes, he saw no point in being Alpha, if there was nothing he could do to make things better for his pack members.
Trevor and Laurel were loyal, caring and his best friends. Seth and Trevor were practically brothers, growing up together, sharing in each other’s triumphs in life. Trevor was Beta to Seth’s Alpha and there was no one Seth trusted more. When Laurel and Trevor married, she too became a fast friend of Seth’s. It didn’t seem fair those two should go through so much only to find out what they desired most, having a child, was not to be.
Seth thought of his own little one, Caleb, his chest swelling with pride. Almost ten years old and already he was showing signs of being a great leader. Yes, he’d follow in his old man’s footsteps and make him proud. It saddened Seth to know the McGregor’s would never know the joy of parenthood. After her last miscarriage—twins this time—Laurel was informed she’d never conceive again, and if by some miracle she did, she wouldn’t carry to term. The couple had been devastated by the news.
The mood had been somber and no words could adequately express how sorry he’d felt at their loss. At times like this, Seth cursed his Alpha status because it fell on his shoulders to seek a resolution…but what? Most couples who couldn’t conceive tried adoption or some looked into fertility treatments.
But for his kind, the option wasn’t something they could explore without bringing attention to what they were—Wulfen. They were the descendants of a time when beasts were sentient and walked on hind legs and mated with humans. Over the years, they’d evolved into what they were now, half-human, able to walk in human form, but slaves to the moon, answering its call, changing when the time arose.
They were what some would call werewolves, but not quite. When they shifted, they held on to their identities and sanity, unlike the Hollywood versions of those creatures. They shifted for the hunt, not the kill, although sometimes the kill was necessary for their survival.
The Wulfen numbered in the thousands, close to a million, scattered all over the world. Like wolves, they existed in packs, living in their own communities, registered in a secret database to identify under whose care they belonged. It was an exclusive bunch and rarely did they marry outside of their own kind, and even then, it was only with the consent of the Alpha and the pack elders. They lived like everyone else, working, owning their own businesses, raising families.
For all intents and purposes, they were normal, except they weren’t. Each and every one of them could be a deadly entity when crossed. There were twelve Alphas in North America. Seth’s territory was along the Northern East Coast of the USA, running from Maine to Virginia. His hours were filled with keeping up with the needs of his pack members.
Of course, he had lots of assistance; a handful of Betas who reported to him and made sure things ran smoothly. When he wasn’t tending to his pack, Seth ran his investment firm and doted on his family. Thoughts of Monica and Caleb brought a smile to his face, but then again, that pang of guilt washed over him. Was it right to have so much happiness when there were others who suffered?
“Goddamn this rain,” he muttered, cursing under his breath, wishing he’d left a little earlier. At least then he wouldn’t have been caught in this downpour. He could barely see the damn road and it was pitch black to boot.
Seth slowed his Range Rover down another ten miles on the speedometer. As much as he wanted to get home to his wife and son, he wanted to get there in one piece. Something caught his attention, however, ten feet ahead to the left, just off the road.
Blinking red lights.
Had someone gotten stranded? This stretch of road wasn’t often used at this time of night because several people had gotten into car accidents on what was called ‘Dead Man’s Curve.’
Cautiously, he maneuvered his vehicle to the median not far behind the immobile car and shut off his engine. Not able to make it out completely, something struck him as odd about the way the car rested. He’d need to take a closer look to determine what the problem was.
Seth didn’t bother to dig in the back for his umbrella, so the stinging rain beat against his skin like sharp needles. It was only when he got closer that he saw the car was actually flipped upside down.
He raced forward, silently praying the passengers were okay. Debating on whether to flip the car over or just rip the doors off of the sedan, he finally decided on the latter. To actually set the car to rights could cause more damage to the passengers inside than there may already be.
He tore the driver’s side door off the hinges, not giving a thought to what the people inside would think about such a feat. Wulfen males possessed an inherent superhuman strength, but now wasn’t the time to concern himself about being questioned about such abilities.
The foul odor of death hit him immediately. Was it already too late? Seth knelt down, bringing himself level with the passengers. A young African-American couple was inside, neither wearing seat belts. As gently as he could, he pulled out the driver, whose neck hung at an unnatural angle.
He was dead.
Once Seth laid the body along the road, he crawled in to see the woman clutching a tightly-wrapped bundle. Her desperate gasps for air greeted his ears, signaling life.
“Miss, are you okay?” he asked even though she clearly wasn’t.
She turned her bloodied face, her eyes nearly swollen shut. “Please…” she gasped.
“Don’t try to speak. I’ll use my phone to get us some help.”
“No…too late for me…”
Seth refused to give up on her, but something made him pause.
The pitiful cries of a small baby.
“Please,” she began again, struggling to get out each word.
‘Take…Sommer…take…take the baby….good care of her.” A string of crimson liquid poured from her mouth before the life seeped out of her eyes.
Seth didn’t have long to dwell on what had just occurred because the baby’s screams grew louder, as though she’d sensed the loss of her parents. Seth reached over and took the swaddled child from her mother’s arms. In most circumstances, he would have given pause to the enormity of the situation. This baby’s parents had been killed, leaving it orphaned and left without the warmth of their love. However, he didn’t have that luxury. He needed to get the little bundle to a warm, dry place.
Holding the child close to protect her from the rain as best he could, Seth ran back to his vehicle. The infant’s cries were nearly drowned out by the rain slapping furiously against his vehicle.
“Shh, it will be okay,” he whispered to the child, patting her gently on the back.
Seth pulled the blanket back to get a really good look at her and his heart flip-flopped. She was a cute little thing, chubby brown cheeks, large dark eyes, and a head full of curly black hair. “You poor baby. What am I going to do with you?”
First, he’d have to call the police to take care of the accident, but then his thoughts turned back to Trevor and Laurel…childless. What if…?
He eyed the crying baby. It would be risky for two Wulfen to raise a human child, but…how could he turn this little one over to the authorities when she could be the solution he’d been looking for?