Fated for the Alphas: The Complete Collection (Nine Book Paranormal Romance Box Set) (45 page)

Lia sat back on her heels, feeling drained. She had put everything she could into the flowers.

“Once there was a mother,” she said, “and a child. They were both loved. And they still are.”

Lia stood as soon as she could, and hobbled away. She couldn’t bear to stay here any longer. The hurt of Della’s loss was still too keen. But if she had worked her magic right, no one would ever forget Della. She had put enough magic in the wildflowers to keep them in bloom for five hundred years.

***

It had been ten days since her meeting with Lilah, and the girl’s warning still bothered her. Every sound in the forest could be Magda’s footstep, and every time the crickets quieted at night, it could be because the coven was stealing through the meadow.

Lia barely slept. When she did, salamanders of flame crawled through her dreams, burning them black.

Ronan pulled her aside after breakfast. “Can we do something, you and me?”

“Like what?”

“We’re getting away together.” He grinned, holding up a rucksack. “I got Clove to pack us a lunch. We can go anywhere you like, as we have a few hours to get there. What do you say?”

Lia bit her lip. “Shouldn’t we bring Kane?”

“Kane’s fine with it being just us. Someone has to stay and defend the den. But you’ve been so stressed about Shade lately, and I feel like I still have some things to apologize for, so I thought this might help.”

“And it would really just be us?” Lia asked. “No guards, no sentries?”

“I mean, unless you want to go to the southern border. Personally, I wouldn’t recommend it. I doubt it’ll be all that relaxing.”

“All right, then. If it’s just us.”

“Perfect.” Taking her arm in his, he led her out of the den. “Just tell me where you want to go.”

She knew the place she wanted immediately. It probably wouldn’t relax her at all. But then again, how could she relax? Lilah’s warning kept playing through her mind.

“Lia?”

“I want to go to the Vantage.”

“Good choice.” He flashed her a smile. “Some great moments happened up there. Maybe we can recreate them.”

Lia blushed. Their first kiss, and it hadn’t even crossed her mind. What was wrong with her?

“This is your day,” Ronan said, “so you tell me, two legs or four?”

“Four, I think.” She wanted nothing more than to disappear into her wolf, to be more interested in the heartbeat of the forest than the possibility of witches.

“All right. You set the pace.” Ronan shifted, taking the rucksack in his mouth.

Lia walked forward, slowly lengthening her strides, letting her wolf take over. She headed for the tallest peak in their territory, right beside her Alpha. The frenzied whirl of thoughts in her mind slowed as she padded through the tall grass. Her Alpha was near. He would protect her.

She breathed in the clean scent of him, so deeply that it seemed to soothe her very soul. Her muscles relaxed, and her every footfall felt freer than the last. Soon she was loping, then running, racing with her Alpha through the wild grasses.

Ronan nipped at her, inviting her to give chase, and she did with a mock snarl. They chased each other through the meadow and halfway up the mountain. As they got higher, Lia had to concentrate. Her wolf had no trouble navigating the field of boulders, so long as there were no distractions. She loved being a wolf. There was no way her human legs could manage this climb.

They shifted right before the curtain of vines. Bowing, Ronan pulled it back for her. She stepped through, her heart in her throat at the sight of the valley in all its glory.

But there was no time to enjoy it. The thoughts of the witches came rushing back, as well as the crushing sense that the pack was in danger. Lia did feel slightly better, for here she could see everything. If the witches tried to sneak into the Twin River pack’s territory, they wouldn’t go unnoticed from the Vantage.

Ronan set his rucksack aside, but Lia barely noticed. Their territory was vast, and she felt the need to scan every treetop. If the witches did come, it would be her fault.

“Alone at last.” Ronan smiled, slipping an arm around her waist. He tried to pull her close, but Lia’s feet were braced too firmly.

“What’s wrong?” he asked. “Surely we can spare a moment.”

“I’m sorry,” Lia said. “I’m just so worried.”

“I’m here. Relax.” He wrapped her in a hug. Lia felt horrible about it, but she couldn’t help looking over his shoulder. She didn’t want to let the valley out of her sight. What if the witches were waiting for her to close her eyes?

Lia sighed. She really should tell Ronan about Lilah, but she didn’t have any proof. She just didn’t want him to think she was crazy.

He stepped back, hands on her shoulders. “Come on, Lia. There’s nothing to worry abou—”

She pointed. To the southeast, close to the edge of the meadow, a plume of smoke rose over the trees.

Ronan’s eyes went wide. “That’s huge. And it’s not even fire season yet.”

Her stomach churned. From here, she could see orange tongues of flame licking at the treetops. Her home was ablaze.

Ronan shielded his eyes, staring at the flames as if fixing their position in his mind. “We’re going to need the whole pack to fight it. We have to warn them. The wind’s blowing this way. If it burns fast enough, it might reach the den. Let’s go.”

He shifted, turning with an impatient growl when she didn’t follow.

Lia gazed at the smoke. Maybe she was putting too much stock in Lilah’s warning, but something didn’t sit right.

Ronan nipped at her, much less playfully this time.

“I didn’t see the smoke before now,” Lia said, “but it must have been burning for hours for the plume to be so big. And the wind hasn’t shifted all day, has it, Ronan? It’s coming from the southeast, too. Do you smell smoke, or ash?”

He shifted back, looking wary. “We might be too high up to smell anything.”

“Maybe. But maybe it’s not a real fire.”

Ronan paced. “Our forest is burning, maybe soon our meadow, and our den. We don’t have time to waste.”

Lia scanned the trees again. She caught a flash of movement. “Do you see that?” She pointed. “Near the river crossing closest to the den.”

He squinted. “It looks like… bears. Huge bears. Shit, three of them.”

She watched as the bears crossed, then hid themselves among the trees. They seemed like they were waiting for something.

Lia rubbed her eyes. “They certainly aren’t acting like bears.”

“Bear shifters?”

“Do those exist?”

Ronan shrugged. “Probably, somewhere. I’ve never seen any before.”

“I still don’t think you have. There’s something wrong with them. It’s hard to tell from this far away, but something’s definitely off.”

He looked at her. “Magic?”

“I think so.” Lia frowned. The real question was whether it was Finn or the witches.

“Look at their position,” Ronan said. “If we all leave to fight the fire, it’s the perfect place to launch an attack on the den.”

Lia glanced at the flames slowly advancing on the meadow, then at the rocky outcropping that was the den. Had they noticed yet? Would they take the bait?

Someone howled on the heights. Briar, if she heard it right. His call warned of danger and fire.

Ronan shifted, and howled back. The wind was not in his favor, and he put everything he had into his call. Lia had to cover her ears. Still, she could hear him quite clearly. He ordered them to stay, but be ready.

A defiant howl from Kane answered him. Ronan repeated his order, even more forcefully.

He shifted back, just long enough to ask one question. “Now can we go?”

Lia let her wolf take over. Together, they raced through the curtain of vines and back down the mountain.

Once they reached the tree line, Ronan crouched low. He slowed just enough to keep his paws from making any sound. Lia realized that he was leading them toward the bears, so that they’d come up on their flank. She flattened her ears nervously, trying to step exactly where Ronan did so she didn’t crunch any sticks or leaves. She hoped he knew what he was doing, and that she could keep quiet. Stealth wasn’t exactly her strength.

They came to the river crossing, trying to keep to the undergrowth. The bears sat on the far side. They looked toward the Twin River den with a little too much interest.

Though the bears were separated from them by the river, Lia’s wolf ears could still hear them over the water’s noise.

“I can’t wait to live there,” one said. “I’m tired of living in a hole. No light. I don’t care what Shade says, it’s unnatural.”

“Shut yer trap, Weevil. You want him to hear you?”

“He can’t hear me.” Still, one of the bears stood on his hind legs to look around.

Lia and Ronan flattened themselves. When the bear looked away, Lia peeked out at him. He seemed to flicker when he moved too fast. There was something far more solid inside him, in the shape of a scrawny man.

“Sit down, grumble guts.” The third bear kicked Weevil in the stomach. “We can’t be seen.”

“Ow.” He rubbed his belly. “You coulda made me hurl, Razor. And you better believe I’d aim for you.” He turned to the other bear. “Can you believe he did that to me, Pike? Pikey?”

“Shadd
up
, Weevil!”

“We’re supposed to watch the den,” Razor said. “We have to wait until they leave to fight the fire. And you remember what we do then, right, Weevil?”

“Then it’s ours. We take it!”

Razor put a hand over his face. “The Twin River pack is going to be tired, but they’ll still outnumber us, dung brain. Think harder.”

“Oh, right.” Weevil chewed his lip. “The packets!”

“That’s right. But what do we do with them?”

Weevil sat silent, looking like he was racking his brain.

Razor sighed. “Would you like to help your brother, Pike?”

Pike took out a knife, sharpening it against a stone. “Put the packets in the ashes of their fires. In their stores. In their cups and casks. In their sleeping furs.” He grinned. “Under their Alphas’ pillows.”

“Got that, Weevil?” Razor pulled a packet from his belt, making the bear image flicker wildly. “Think you can handle it?”

Weevil grabbed for the packet, but Razor pulled it out of reach.

“Oh no you don’t. I don’t trust you with this until it’s time. Maybe not even then. This is serious shit, Weevil. You can’t smell it, not even for a second.”

“Give it to me,” Weevil whined. “I can do it!”

Razor pushed his face away. “Quiet. Not until they leave the den.”

Ronan glanced at Lia. She nodded. They had heard enough.

He motioned toward the bears, then bared his teeth. He wanted to ambush them. Lia shook her head. She realized they weren’t giant bears, but that didn’t mean the two of them could take all three.

Ronan raised an eyebrow. It was clear that he’d go with her, or without her. Lia hunkered down, scrunching her eyes shut. She’d have to go too. Did she have some kind of wish to meet the dark god? She nodded. Ronan showed his teeth in a predatory smile.

They burst from their cover, sprinting toward the crossing and roaring like mad creatures.

“It’s an ambush!” Weevil screamed.

Razor stumbled back, dropping his packet. “They’ve found us! Run!”

The three of them shifted, their images warping between bears and wolves. They sprinted south along the river. After a few hundred yards they dove in, letting the current sweep them away.

Ronan didn’t bother to chase them. He shifted. “Not Shade’s best or brightest.” He picked up the packet Razor had dropped. “I wonder what they had planned for us.”

He made to open it, but Lia snatched it away.

“Don’t.” While the packet was mere brown paper, it bore the lingering markings of a powerful spell. Whatever was in there, great pains had been taken to make sure it couldn’t get out.

“Shouldn’t we open it?” Ronan asked. “Don’t we need to know what’s inside?”

“I know what’s inside. I should have recognized it from across the river. The witches use these packets, but this one carries Magda’s mark.” She could feel the underlying anger in the magic, like a crackle of lightning. “They were going to dose us all with everwort they got from Magda.”

“Magda? The head of your coven?” Ronan frowned. “She would give Shade everwort?”

“And more, I think.” Lia closed her hand around the packet, her heart filled with dread. “Shade wasn’t bluffing. He has allies. The witches are coming.”

Chapter Two

Kane met them at the edge of the meadow. “There you are. I suppose you’re going to explain why we should wait in the den until the fire overtakes us?”

Ronan’s mouth tightened. “What fire?”

“Don’t tell me you didn’t see it from the Vantage. It’s to the southeast, the smoke is blowing this way—” Kane’s words died away as he pointed to a clear blue sky. “What in the seven Hells?”

“It’s Finn,” Lia said. “Shade’s mage. They tried to set a trap for us, but I don’t think Finn’s magic is strong enough for Shade’s needs.” She told him about the wolves disguised as bears whose images flickered, the packet of everwort. “He has the witches on his side. I don’t know what Magda wants with us, but it won’t be anything pleasant.”

Kane waved for them to follow him back to the den. “Why would the witches help Shade?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t think Magda liked wolf shifters. Or men. Or anyone, really.”

“So maybe she won’t help Shade,” Kane said. “At least, not past giving him everwort.”

Lia wrung her hands. Maybe it was time to tell them about Lilah, if she could find the courage.

“Lia?” Ronan asked. “What is it?”

She had just opened her mouth to speak when Briar bounded out of the den.

“Alphas.” He bowed his head. “The smoke is gone. I can’t explain it, but it’s gone. The fire, too.”

Ronan clapped him on the shoulder. “We think it was an illusion. One of Shade’s tricks. Keep an eye out, though. I wouldn’t be surprised if he hits us with a real fire next.”

“I’m so sorry.” Briar looked haunted. “I wasn’t on the heights, I didn’t know. If it had been real, I wouldn’t have seen it in time.”