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Pack’s Queen
Wolves of Crimson Hollow Book 3
M. H. Soars
Michelle Hercules
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
Chapter 55
Chapter 56
Chapter 57
Author’s Note
About the Author
Also by M. H. Soars
Also by Michelle Hercules
Pack’s Queen © 2019 by M. H. Soars & Michelle Hercules
All rights reserved under the International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, organizations, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
Warning: the unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
Book Cover Design: Rebecca Frank
Editor: Cynthia Shepp
Chapter 1
Red
I don’t tell Sam where I’m going once I leave his room. He’s still exhausted from the battle, and he needs more time to recover from his wound. It’s bad enough we’re both worrying about Tristan’s and Dante’s fate. I don’t need to add the situation with Alex to the plate.
Trying to control the beating of my heart, I walk toward Tristan’s office where Alex is waiting for me. It’s no use. It took me such a long time to get over the pain of our breakup. Now, having Alex suddenly drop into my life in this supernatural savior role is messing with my mind.
Voices coming from the entrance foyer below make me stop in my tracks. Approaching the railing with soft steps so as to not announce my presence, I find Alex’s Dark Blades companions below. Max and Martin’s sister are engaged in a heated argument, carried on through shout-whispers. Please, don’t they know shifters have enhanced hearing?
“I don’t like this at all, Max. Why won’t they let me see my brother?” Martin’s sister asks.
“You heard what Santiago said. Martin fell under Harkon’s demonic influence. The only reason his soul wasn’t completely corrupted was due to the spell we used in his raven tattoo.”
“He’s not going to harm me.” The woman crosses her arms.
Max moves closer, holding her by the shoulders. “Daria, I understand your frustration, but Martin knew about all the risks when he accepted his mission.”
After pushing Alex’s best friend away, she turns around and puts some distance between them. “I’m not frustrated. I’m angry. I don’t understand why we had to drop everything to come help Alex’s ex-girlfriend.”
My spine goes taut when I’m mentioned. It’s impossible to ignore the venom in the woman’s voice. It’s obvious she doesn’t like me.
“Aren’t you forgetting we’re dealing with a major archdemon who has been obsessed with the same woman through centuries? That’s right up our alley.”
So they know about my past with Harkon. It seems I was one of the last people to find out I had a fucking demon after me. It figures. But Max said centuries. Does that mean I’ve encountered the monster more than once before?
Daria turns, her ponytail slashing around like a whip. “Why does it have to be Alex to come to the rescue? There are other Blades who could have taken this mission.”
“Alex is one of the best. Plus, he never would have allowed anyone else to come. You know how he feels about Red.”
My pulse flutters. What does Max mean by that? Alex was the one who ended our relationship. He broke my heart.
She snorts. “Yeah, we all know. One more reason he shouldn’t be here. His feelings for the wolf princess will put the mission in jeopardy. We can’t trust his instincts where she’s involved.”
“You’re not being fair to Alex. He’d never let his personal business mess with his calling. I can’t say the same about you.”
She cuts him a glare. “What are you implying?”
“You know very well what I’m talking about. You either tell him how you feel, or you let it go.”
“As usual, you’re full of shit, Max,” the woman spits, turning on her heels to stalk out of the house.
Max lets out a loud sigh before saying, “I hope you enjoyed the convo, Red.” He turns to me then, a cheeky smile playing on his lips.
“You knew I was here all along?”
He winks. “I think you’ve let Alex wait long enough. The poor sod must be on pins and needles by now.”
Shaking my head, I say, “You’re still the same insufferable ass.”
“Oh, no. I’m much, much worse.”
With a laugh, he strides out of the house. I didn’t get the chance to reply to his question. I did learn interesting things, but nothing gave me any intel about what I’m going to face in Tristan’s office. Come on, Red. Stop being such a coward. I force my feet to move until I’m standing in front of the door, realizing I didn’t think this through. Even from outside, I can smell Tristan’s scent, and with it comes the sorrow again. My throat becomes tight while my eyes prickle. Curling my hands into fists, I try to keep my emotions in control. The anguish wave recedes a little, so I finally turn the knob.
Alex is standing with his back to the door, staring out the window. When he peers over his shoulder, my stomach ties into knots. I expect to feel a sharp pain in my chest as well, but the ache there is not caused by him.
Closing the door with a resounding click, I remain by it, not knowing what to say. He turns fully to face me, but also doesn’t move forward.
“How are you?” he asks, his voice a little rough. It sounds almost as if he hasn’t spoken in days.
“I’ve been better.”
“Your scratches have healed nicely.”
I touch my face. Yesterday, I had a scratch there I don’t even remember getting. It’s gone now. Some details of the battle in Shadow Creek are a blur.
“Perks of being a shifter.”
Alex’s expression becomes pinched, and emotion flashes in his eyes. It’s gone too fast for me to discern what it was.
“So, you’re a druid,” I say.
“Yes.”
“I guess it’s safe to assume you were always a druid.” My voice is neutral. Yet, Alex’s expression turns into one of guilt.
“Yes. Like you were always a witch.”
Oh, no. He didn’t just turn this around on me.
“The only difference is I never knew I was one,” I say through clenched teeth.
“Touché.” Crossing his arms, he leans against the windowsill.
I can’t take this stilted conversation any longer, so I cut to the chase. “Why did you lie?”
Jaw hardening, Alex stares at me without saying a word. I can almost see the conflicting emotions bouncing inside of his head.
“I had no choice.”
“Bullshit. There’s always a choice.”
“Really? Did you tell your friend when you were turned into a wolf shifter?”
My mood becomes sour in an instant. He had to go and mention Kenya.
“No.” I imitate his stance, crossing my arms and sharpening my gaze.
“Humans can’t know about the supe community, Red. I didn’t know you had ties to the supernatural. If I had—” He shakes his head, breaking eye contact with me. “Maybe things would have been different.”
I don’t want to dwell too much between the lines of that statement. Playing what-if games doesn’t lead anywhere, only to more heartache.
“You know what? It doesn’t matter. You did what you had to do. Now, all I want to know is how you can help me find my mates.”
Alex focuses on me again, his gaze now tense. “Our first priority is to find Harkon and deal with him.”
“The hell it is. The first priority is to find Dante and Tristan. Afterward, we’ll deal with the archdemon.”
Alex narrows his eyes to slits. “Harkon has Tristan, but your mate has been corrupted. And Dante could be in a million different dimensions. He could be dead.”
Unfolding my arms, I take a step forward. My blood is boiling, my vision turning crimson. “Dante is not dead. And I don’t care how long it will take to find him. I’ll save him with or without your help.”
“Do you even know where to begin searching? I’m not trying to be cruel, but the truth is you might not be able to save them both.”
“What do you mean?”
“It will take time and resources to locate Dante. We have no idea what dimension he is in. My guess is he’s in the underworld, which doesn’t bode well for his rate of survival. As for Tristan, the longer he remains under Harkon’s power, the more he’ll succumb to the archdemon’s malevolence. Harkon lost his vessel when you killed Valerius. Who do you think he’ll use now?”
The blood drains from my face, while it seems like the floor opened up under my feet. “Tristan.”
Chapter 2
Red
I’m faced with an impossible choice. Who should I save? Tristan or Dante? I can’t make that call. But timing is running out for them both, so I have to decide quickly. After Alex dropped that truth bomb, I went in search of Dr. Mervina. If she can still sense her connection to Dante and Tristan, then she’s the best chance I’ve got to locate both fast.
I find her outside the manor, rallying up the wolves left in our pack. If I have to guess, we’ve lost at least half our enforcers and a few youngsters as well. The mood is somber, but that’s no surprise. When I step closer to the gathering, I fully expect the pack to watch me with hatred in their eyes, but I get something else entirely. They do stare, but almost as if they’re in awe. Murmurs erupt among them, and I hear a few refer to me as the Mother of Wolves.
My trip down memory lane gave me undeniable proof I’m Natalia’s reincarnation. Yet, I still can’t wrap my head around it. The magical diary only gave me one glimpse of Natalia’s life, and it left with me so many questions. But I’m not sure if it would be wise to remember everything about my former life. I’m terrified of what that will do to my mental state. I wanted to know how to defeat Harkon, and that information I got. If people were meant to remember their past lives, then we would retain our memories. There’s a reason why we don’t.
Dr. Mervina pauses her speech, turning to me. “You arrived just in time, Red.”
Frowning, I ask, “In time for what?”
“It’s time to let the pack know the truth about the nature of your relationship with my sons.”
My jaw drops. She’s going to reveal I’m mated to Tristan, Dante, and Sam. In hindsight, it makes sense. Everyone already knows what I am. Besides, the biggest threats to the pack aren’t around anymore. I killed that bitch Lyria. As for Seth, well, his time is coming.
I nod, then lean closer to whisper in Dr. Mervina’s ear. “Do you mind if I tell them?”
There’s hint of pride in her eyes. “Not at all.”
Taking a deep breath, I address the pack. “I’m sorry that such horrible things have descended upon this pack in such a short period of time. It doesn’t escape my notice, and I’m sure it has not escaped your attention either, that my arrival here triggered everything.”
Once again, the crowd talks among themselves, this time in whispers of surprise. The atmosphere becomes tenser, so I’m quick to continue. “I’m terribly sorry for your losses, but I will not apologize for things I had no way of stopping, terrible deeds that were put in motion even before I moved to this town. But I will promise the monsters responsible for the death and destruction will pay for it.”
I’m glad that most, if not all, of the pack aren’t against me this time.
“What Dr. Mervina, your alpha, was about to tell you, is that I’m mated to her sons. All three of them.”
Gasps of surprise echo all around, but at the same time, there are people who don’t seem surprised. Maybe they sensed the mating bond or heard from another supernatural. The supe community doesn’t want humans to know about them, but they sure like to gossip among themselves.
“Are you truly the Mother of Wolves?” a young girl asks.
“I—” I turn to Dr. Mervina, not knowing what to say.
“They should know the entire truth, at least as you know it.”
“I believe so,” I answer.
The girl smiles, then turns to her friend to giggle. I honestly don’t know what that was all about.
“What does that mean for the future of the pack?” an elderly man with a bushy beard asks Dr. Mervina.
“It means I’ll remain the alpha until Tristan and Dante return. Then, I’ll step down in favor of my sons. We’re getting three alphas.”
The silence is so absolute, the sound of a pin drop could be heard. I’m staring openmouthed at Dr. Mervina. So that was her plan all along? My chest tightens. If my mates are the new alphas, what does that make me, the alphas’ consort? Am I ready to lead these wolves?
“How are we getting them back?” Billy asks from all the way in the back. No wonder I didn’t see him before. I’m glad he’s okay.
I trade a worried glance with Dr. Mervina. We still don’t know where they are, and Alex’s words come back to haunt me. He doesn’t think I’ll have enough time to rescue both.
Dr. Mervina opens her mouth to reply when one of the sentries comes running toward our group. I immediately think something terrible has happened. Are we under attack again? My fear is not unique. I sense the shift in the mood of the other wolves, too. Damn it. Could Harkon have recovered from his defeat so quickly? My heart becomes unbearably heavy when I think about Tristan.
“What’s the matter, Terrence?” Dr. Mervina asks.
“There’s someone at the north gate requesting permission to enter. I couldn’t reach you over the phone, so I had to run here.”
I let out the breath I was holding, but I’m far from relaxed.
“Who’s at our gate?” I ask.
“A Shadow Creek wolf,” Terrence answers with enough venom in hi
s tone to kill an elephant.
“Impossible. All wolves from Shadow Creek have been put in quarantine at Brian Kane’s property,” Dr. Mervina replies.
Terrence shakes his head. “It seems you’ve missed one. What should I do?”
A suspicious thought springs in my head. “What does this wolf look like?”
“She’s a teen, dark hair, white as a ghost. She doesn’t speak.”
“Nadine,” I whisper. “Please, let her in at once.”
The sentry frowns, then turns to Dr. Mervina for confirmation.
“It’s fine, Terrence. She’s not the enemy.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
He pulls his cell phone from his utility belt, dials, and then gives the order to let Nadine in. I don’t wait for him to finish before I head toward the gate. No one has heard from Nadine since the battle in Shadow Creek, which only makes me suspect more that the black jaguar who stopped Alex from fighting with Xander was her.
I meet Nadine and the sentry accompanying her in the forest behind the alpha’s manor, halfway toward the north gate. He has his beefy hand wrapped around her arm, which pisses me off.
“Let her go,” I order.
The young man’s face twists into a chagrined expression. He does as I said, taking a sidestep for good measure. “I’m sorry. We can never be too careful. She’s from Shadow Creek.”
“So am I.”
The sentry drops his gaze. “Yes, ma’am. May I return to my post?”
I’m taken by surprise by his deferential attitude toward me. It hasn’t been that long since the wolves from this pack treated me like dirt. Has he already learned I’m mated to the future alphas of the pack? I don’t feel deserving of any special treatment, though. My desire is to earn the pack’s respect, not receive it by default.
“Yes,” I reply.
With quick steps, the young wolf returns to the north gate, and I turn my attention to Nadine. My eyes scan her from head to toe. She doesn’t have any visible wounds, but that means nothing.
I breach the distance between us, pulling the girl into a tight embrace.