Good Things: An Urban Fantasy Anthology Read online

  Alpha Ascension Copyright © 2016 by A. Star

  For You Copyright © 2016 by Angela B. Chrysler

  What We Do for Love Copyright © 2016 by J. Kim McLean

  Outreach: Part One Copyright © 2016 by Dariel Raye

  Personal Responsibility Copyright © 2016 by Mia Darien

  Psyched Copyright © 2016 by Abigail Owen

  Kamry's Hope Copyright © 2016 by Crystal G. Smith

  An Act of Love Copyright © 2016 by Kat Jameson

  Windsong Copyright © 2016 by Christi Rigby

  The Will of Nyx Copyright © 2016 by Jessica Nicholls

  Cover Art Copyright © 2016 Deranged Doctor Designs (http://www.derangeddoctordesign.com/)

  Random Acts Logo is used with permission by the Random Acts Organization.

  (http://www.randomacts.org/)

  All Rights Reserved. This book may not be reproduced or used in any manner without the permission of the author.

  Foreword

  Alpha Ascension (A Wesley Werewolves Story) by A. Star

  For You (The Letters #2) by Angela B. Chrysler

  What We Do for Love by J. Kim McLean

  Outreach: Part One (An Orlosian Warriors Story) by Dariel Raye

  Personal Responsibility (An Adelheid Story) by Mia Darien

  Psyched (A Legendary Consultants Story) by Abigail Owen

  Kamry's Hope by Crystal G. Smith

  An Act of Love by Kat Jameson

  Windsong by Christi Rigby

  The Will of Nyx by Jessica Nicholls

  About the Charity

  About the Authors

  Dear Readers,

  This is the fifth anthology that I have organized and edited for charity, following Here, Kitty Kitty in 2013, Reaching Out in 2014, Bellator in 2014, and Amor Vincit Omnia in 2015. I have worked with many fantastic authors, sometimes for just one anthology and some have been willing to deal with me again and again. They benefit some great charities. This anthology, however, I think is the one I’m most excited about.

  It’s not at all that the past anthologies weren’t awesome, they were, but this is the first time that I’ve been able to speak directly to the charity ahead of time. While before, we just donated the profits and said as much, this one is being done as an approved fundraiser by the charity we’re giving the money to. It’s not official merchandise, but we are approved to use their logo and talk about them a whole lot. This is exciting.

  What’s the charity, you ask? Well, that will take a little back story.

  As always, I was late to the party. I didn’t start watching the television show Supernatural until it was already airing its eleventh season. Since then, I’ve gone through the previous ten seasons on Netflix and am working my way through to the end of this latest season before the next begins. (Yes, they have been given the green light for season twelve, which makes it the longest running primetime genre show in history.)

  And for good reason. It’s amazing. This isn’t the place for me to fangirl however, so I’ll move on.

  There’s always that fear when you like a show or movie that you’ll learn more about the actors and realize they’re jerks. Well, that didn’t happen here. Not only have I found that the actors of the show—headliners as well as return characters—love their work and their fans, but they seem like genuinely nice people and they pretty much all adore each other. They hang out together during hiatus!

  They also believe in giving back, and are involved with/have created charities.

  That brings me to Random Acts. This charity was co-founded by Supernatural star Misha Collins. I’ll talk more about it at length at the end of the anthology, but basically, its goal is to promote kindness throughout the world. In a time when many of us feel like the world may, in fact, be slowly ending, when we see hatred and violence everywhere we turn, the idea of being kind resonates so strongly.

  When you want to be a force against the hatred, be kind. That’s what this charity promotes, and what we want to promote.

  In the spirit of the show itself, I present to you an anthology of ten urban fantasy stories all involving an act or acts of kindness in some way. Since I don’t like to self-congratulate, I’ll only say that I know for sure nine of them are awesome! Stories from authors you’ve read in previous anthologies and new, stories that re-visit some of these authors’ wonderful own worlds and others that go to new places, I’m sure you’ll enjoy this journey.

  One hundred percent of what we (the authors) receive from the sales of this anthology will go straight to Random Acts to continue their mission. We hope that you enjoy these stories, and maybe feel inspired to go out and spread some kindness in the world yourself.

  Happy Reading,

  Mia Darien, August 2016

  “Xavier Wesley! You are called to testify!”

  I entered the lecture hall on Wesley College’s campus that had been turned into a makeshift courtroom for the purposes of holding a trial that could cost my dumb ass cousin his life.

  He’d broken a century-old treaty between our wolf pack and another, and now he had to answer for it. Other members of our pack were in attendance, but I was the only one who’d been summoned to testify.

  I started down the narrow row of stairs on the left side of the room. Remy, Darien, and Foster, younger wolves in my pack, looked solemn as they sat together in the middle of the lecture hall. At the front of the hall, sitting behind a long table and wearing all-black tailored suits, were the three nobles of the King’s Congress: Stefan, Marcus, and Jackson. They advised the lycan king, enforced his laws, and held court for any violators. They were the judges and the jury, and your testimony only held as much weight as they said it did.

  As I approached the professors’ podium, I tried to play it cool, but then I spotted Roman, the king of the werewolves himself, and I almost couldn’t keep it together. He was conspicuously seated in the shadows on the right side of the room in a throne-like chair that had been brought in just for him. He also wore a black suit that made me look like nothing more than a door-to-door salesman in my collared shirt and tie. I had assumed all of the wolves in suits on campus were just for the nobles, but now that I knew the king was also here, the overly-intrusive pat down they’d subjected me to before letting me in the room made more sense.

  Standing before Roman and the congress, I couldn’t help but think that I should have helped Kane go lone wolf–or on the lam–like he’d suggested the day before. With the king there, the nobles would be far less likely to cut Kane some slack. In fact, if Roman wanted them to, they would sentence my cousin to death without even hearing his side of the story.

  Roman Diallo was descended from the purest of African bloodlines. Most of us shifters, my own family included, were of African descent mixed with a bunch of other stuff. But not the Diallos. They were “untainted” and Roman carried himself with all the dignity of someone who knew how important he was. He was the last male in the Diallo pack and it was mating season. He was finally going to take a female, make her his queen, and produce an heir. But apparently, not before he made Kane pay for breaking the treaty.

  My cousin sat in the first row of chairs some feet behind the podium, looking smug and defiant. His younger brother, Eli, sat next to him, clearly terrified. Eli was a timid wolf who liked to avoid fights and conflict in general. I could imagine he was freaking out on the inside, as he should be. His brother was in a shitload of trouble, not that Kane seemed to care much.

&nb
sp; I gripped the sides of the podium and bowed my head to the king. “Sire.”

  He didn’t reply, but I saw a half-smile curve his lips. When Roman and I were pups, a smile like that had always meant he’d cooked up some trouble for us to get into. But now he was the king and I was just a subordinate. I didn’t know what to make of his smile anymore. All I knew was that it couldn’t mean anything good for my cousin.

  “My lords,” I said to the nobles. They, like the king, had nothing to say in return, but I didn’t expect them to. They were a bunch of hard-asses that showed very little mercy to those brought before them for crimes against the lycan throne. And as far as they were concerned, every crime committed by a wolf was a crime against the lycan throne.

  “Xavier Wesley, son of William Wesley,” Stefan said. “Are you ready to take the oath of integrity?”

  “Yes,” I replied. I wasn’t, but I couldn’t say that. The only thing that mattered now was that once I took the oath, every word that came out of my mouth had better be the truth. Lying to the congress was punishable by death, and I didn’t have time to die. There were still too many girls left to date in the world, and I planned on starting with the incoming freshmen at Wesley College, which was my family’s private university in Mirage, Georgia.

  But that was only if I survived this trial.

  “Xavier, do you swear before this congress that your testimony will be honest and true, and do you understand that any false declarations are punishable by exile or death?”

  “I do.”

  The nobles exchanged glances and then looked at the king. Roman nodded and the questions began.

  “Do you understand that your kin, Kane Wesley, has been accused of violating the sacred treaty between the Wesley and Gray packs?” Stefan asked.

  “Yes,” I replied. “I know.”

  “What exactly is your understanding of the treaty?”

  “In general?”

  He shrugged. “Sure.”

  I blew out a breath. “We, the Wesley pack, are not to venture into the Gray pack territory under any circumstances. The same applies to them. Even the call to mate must be ignored if it means violating the treaty.”

  The nobles nodded their approval. “And do you know why this treaty was put in place almost a century ago?” Jackson asked.

  I swallowed hard. “I do.”

  “Then even you must agree that Kane’s actions cannot be taken lightly?”

  I dipped my head. “I know that they can’t.”

  I glanced back at Kane for a brief moment, wondering if for once I might find him in an actual state of panic. But of course, Kane was cool as ever. He almost looked as if he didn’t care about anything that was happening at the moment, like he didn’t even notice the king had taken time away from his court and the search for a mate just to attend his trial. I almost forgot where I was for a second and laid into Kane. This fool really thought the nobles were just going to give him a slap on the wrist and send him on his way. But the hammer was about to come down on him, I could feel it, and he wasn’t even going to see it coming.

  “So on the night of January eighteenth at around eleven that night, did you witness Kane leave the Wesley territory as he claims?” Marcus asked.

  “Yes,” I replied. “But he wouldn’t tell me where he was going. I offered to go with him anyway, but he told me no. He said he wanted to go alone, and I didn’t argue. It wasn’t my place.”

  “Did you feel a certain obedience to him as your future alpha?” he asked.

  “I won’t lie and say that wasn’t a part of it. But Kane is also my friend and I trust him.”

  “Did it ever occur to you that Kane had found his mate and was leaving to be with her?” Stefan asked.

  “No. I mean, finding a mate is everything to a wolf. I guess I just didn’t think that he would keep something like that from me. Even if she was a member of the Gray pack.”

  “Does it bother you that he didn’t tell you about his mate?”

  “Of course it does. We’re not just pack members, we’re family. The last thing I’d ever expect from any of my family is to be betrayed by them.”

  Stefan and Marcus shared a look. “Kane has admitted to claiming the Gray female for the first time in September,” Marcus said.

  “What?” That was over four months ago! I glared over my shoulder at Kane. He didn’t dare look back at me. “How did Clarence not pick up on her scent before now? Aspen is his daughter after all.” Clarence Gray was the alpha of the Gray pack, and yup, Kane had screwed his daughter.

  “You may not be aware of Aspen’s skill as a healer. She is well trained in the art of covering up the mating scent.”

  I hadn’t even known that was possible. Females and their tricks. “Has she been exiled yet?”

  Jackson shook his head. “No, but her father has threatened to do so if there is any further contact between her and Kane.”

  I growled. Keeping Kane away from this female, especially since she was the one he’d claimed as his mate, was going to be virtually impossible.

  “What are the three virtues of an alpha?” Stefan asked, catching me off guard with the change of subject.

  “Uh, courage, loyalty and respect,” I replied. Any wolf, alpha or not, that didn’t know the three virtues wasn’t worth their fur and fangs.

  “Do you believe Kane embodies these virtues?”

  Damn. I hadn’t expected that question. “In his own way, yeah.”

  “What does that mean, in his own way?”

  Damn. Damn. Damn. “I’ve known Kane my entire life and he’s always been the bravest wolf I know. As pups, he was always the first to try some crazy stunt or explore some new part of our territory. I’ve never known him to be afraid of anything. As for loyalty, he always had my back growing up and we always respected each other.”

  “And now?”

  “Now? I still feel the same way. I just wish he’d confided in me about his mate. Can’t help thinking that maybe he wouldn’t be on trial right now if he had.”

  “We agree,” Marcus said. “As your fellow pack members in attendance have attested, you are the one the pack most trusts and confides in.”

  So I’d been wrong. The others had been called to testify. “I just try to do what I can for my pack. Sometimes that means just lending an ear.”

  “We’re aware. The king also has good things to say about you. He’s told us that your friendship is the one relationship he values more than anything.”

  I fought back a smile. “I value our sire’s friendship, too. But that’s just until I find my mate. Then I plan on acting like I don’t even know him.”

  Roman burst out laughing, which gave the nobles permission to laugh too. I allowed myself to smile and felt some of the tension ease from my shoulders.

  “After hearing what each of you has had to say, a judgment has been reached,” Jackson said once their laughter had died down. The smile fell from my face and I held my breath as I waited for what came next.

  “Stand up, Kane Wesley.”

  My cousin did as he was told. He still looked stupid and smug and I couldn’t help but want to strangle him.

  “Is there anything else you’d like to say before we deliver our judgment, Kane?” Stefan asked.

  “No, my lord,” he replied. “I’ve told you everything there is to tell. I love Aspen and I don’t regret a thing.”

  “We know,” Stefan replied with a smile. “That is why we hereby proclaim Xavier to be the new ascending alpha of the Wesley pack.”

  My head jerked toward Roman. “What?” I had to make sure I’d heard right. The king nodded once and my stomach dropped to the damn floor. This was unprecedented. Throughout our family’s entire history, I’d never heard of an alpha being stripped of their inheritance. Never.

  “You can’t do this!” Kane shouted. Finally the sucka was realizing the severity of the situation. He strained against Eli, who was holding him back from doing something stupid, like going ape on the nobles. “I
’m the Wesley heir! How you just gonna up and take that from me?”

  I saw Roman’s eyes turn icy blue. He was about to snap and Kane’s ass was finished if he did. A Wesley alpha didn’t have shit on a Diallo royal. My cousin really needed to shut his damn mouth.

  “You have violated a sacred treaty!” Stefan shouted at Kane. “The punishment must fit the crime! You’re lucky we don’t exile you as well.”

  “But why me?” I asked to intercept any response from Kane. “Eli is Uncle Bart’s son, too. Why not him?”

  “You are the most senior Wesley within the pack,” Jackson said. “Because of your father, you understand the politics surrounding high-ranking lycans. We see a great leader in you and know that you won’t let the king down.”

  I stared at Roman, my childhood best friend, like he was a stranger. How could he do this to me? I didn’t want to be the alpha. I wasn’t the heir and I had been glad about it. Being alpha was a responsibility I wasn’t sure I was boss enough to handle. However, it was clear I didn’t have a choice. Uncle Bart was dead. Kane could never be alpha now and Eli was too young to take his place. I was the next eldest, so the burden fell on me. My father would have been so disappointed in me if I turned my back on the pack and went lone wolf. That’s what I would have to do to escape this and I wasn’t willing to do that. I loved my pack. I could never abandon them or dishonor my father like that.

  Never.

  “Okay,” I said. “I’ll do it.”

  “Man, that’s messed up, X!” Kane exploded behind me. “We’re supposed to be family!”

  My fangs extended without me even forcing them to. “Nah, what you did was messed up!” I snarled. “You screwed yourself over. You knew what was going to happen if you messed with that female and you still did it! You put the entire pack in danger, so don’t come at me with that family stuff, cuz. You weren’t thinking about the family while you were out there getting some. I’d like to think that she was worth it, but knowing your history with females, she isn’t.”

  Kane looked at me like I’d just throat-punched him. I’d never spoken to him like that because I’d always respected him as my alpha, even before Uncle Bart died. But it was just hard for me to believe that Kane loved Aspen, even though he’d stated that he did. Even though he’d claimed she was his mate. Just because Kane embodied the three virtues didn’t mean he wasn’t selfish. He’d only been thinking about himself when he’d crossed into Gray territory knowing it was forbidden. Love had nothing to do with him betraying his pack. So hell no, I wasn’t going to let him blame me for his idiotic mistake. He’d made the choice, and these were the consequences.