The Warlock Queen: Book 13 of the Grey Wolves Series

Prologue “My wolf cannot stay here. It wants to run, to hunt, to do anything but wait here. This place no longer feels like home. It wasn’t the physical structure that made this place my den. It was the people inside of it.” ~Fane Fane stood outside of his father’s office, staring at the closed door. Clearly, staring at doors was his new thing. His mate stood beside him, their son in her arms, and behind him were his closest friends, family, and pack. They waited like sentinels at his back. He wondered if they, too, felt a crushing weight on their chests. Did the tightness that kept him from drawing a proper breath likewise block the air from entering their lungs? So many memories were contained in the room just beyond the door, recollections he wasn’t ready to face. His father’s voice filled his mind, and Fane clenched his teeth, bracing himself for emotions he knew would hit him when he crossed the threshold. “You’re never ready for the next step, whatever that might be. Perhaps it means that you stand still and listen for where The Great Luna guides, or it might mean you run full speed ahead because there are others in need of your help. But you cannot choose inaction solely because you think you aren’t ready. Not as a leader. You have a responsibility to those in your care, and they look to you for their next step.” Fane tucked the recollection away and reached for the door handle. Forcing his lungs to work, he drew a steadying breath and turned the knob. Without pause, for fear his resolve might fail him, he stepped inside. Their scent struck him like a slap across the face, and he felt the sting of it, not on his cheek, but on his heart. His wolf rumbled as he let his alpha’s scent cascade over him. Fane drew in several heavy breaths, finally able to get the life-giving oxygen into his lungs. He reveled in the aroma of his parents because he knew it would not last. Jacquelyn took his hand, and he walked over to the desk where Vasile had worked tirelessly, always in the best interest of the pack. He didn’t move to go around it. It wasn’t time. One day, he would take the seat, and that day would be sooner rather than later. But today was not that day. He turned and faced those who’d filed into the office after him. Their faces were solemn, eyes filled with pain, shock, and confusion. Only an hour ago, they’d been standing in a field with the Great Luna, saying goodbye to his parents, Cypher, and the others that had died. None of them, himself included, were in any condition to have a deep conversation. Much processing needed to happen. But life didn’t stop because they needed time to think and grieve. Fane met the eyes of each of those gathered around him. Jen held a sleeping Thia, and Decebel’s arm was wrapped around his mate’s waist. The former alpha and his mate sported dark circles under their eyes, and Jen’s were red and puffy from recently shed tears. Next to them, stood Sally and Costin. Titus clasped tightly to Costin’s hand, and the little boy still had tears streaming down his face. He sniffled, and Sally must have heard because she immediately knelt and opened her arms to him. Titus fell into them and buried his face in her neck. “I tried to be strong, Mommy. I did. But being strong is hard when my heart hurts so much.” His words were soft, but all the supernaturals in the room would have no problem hearing them. Jacque leaned closer into Fane, and he felt her in his mind, searching for comfort. Fane gave her what he could. “I love you. We’re going to be okay.” She didn’t say anything, but she nodded against his shoulder. Next, his eyes shifted to Adam and his mate, Crina. She, too, had red, swollen eyes fixed firmly on the floor, as if she didn’t want to look around the space that had once belonged to their alpha. Adam rubbed his hand up and down her back, occasionally whispering to her. Next to them, stood Sorin and Elle. The face of Fane’s childhood guard was still as stone and as blank as a white wall. Fane could sense through the pack bonds, now firmly attached, that Sorin hurt deeply. Elle held tightly to his hand, and her unseeing stare made her appear just as stoic. Wadim had taken a seat on the couch as if his legs wouldn’t hold him up any longer, and he’d pulled Zara into his lap. He rested his head on her shoulder as she ran her fingers through his hair. The incredibly intimate gesture comforted Fane. To know that their pack historian had a mate to help get him through this time brought a small amount of peace to the new alpha. He realized at that moment what his father had felt for their pack. Every single member and their well-being was paramount to him. He wanted to know that they were all healthy and happy and taken care of. Fane understood that before he became alpha, but now it was magnified times a thousand. He couldn’t process the emotions of the revelation, so, instead, he focused on the others in the room. Thalion and Cyn joined them, even though the rest of their respective races had returned to their kingdom. They’d often been involved in these meetings over the years because of Cyn’s relationship with Peri. Everyone knew she was a loyal warrior and would fight by Peri’s side till death. Peri and Lucian were closest to the door, and beside them stood Nissa, Disir, Gwen, and Dain, the other high fae council members. Fane hadn’t noticed that they’d flashed to the mansion until Peri had spoken to them as they entered the front door. Peri stood straight, her shoulders pulled back and her chin raised as her gaze roamed the room. Fane wondered if she was thinking about the many times she’d met his father and his pack in this office. Was she remembering the heated words, the tears that had been shed, and the laughter that once filled the space? Her eyes snapped to his, and he appreciated that he saw no pity there. All he saw was a loss that matched his own. She tilted her head slightly, and he reciprocated the gesture. Lucian bowed his head as if in prayer. Fane wondered what his uncle felt. He’d been in a situation before when he thought he’d never see his brother again, when Lucian had been locked in the Dark Forest. He had experienced the loss already, and now he was reliving it, only this time it was truly final. The door to the office opened, and Rachel and Gavril stepped in. The final members of the inner circle of the group who protected the Romania pack, and the rest of the world, when it needed protection. “Drake is doing well. He and Bethany are both sorry they could not attend,” Rachel said as she and her mate stepped farther into the room. “They mentioned that the Great Luna visited them last night, but they didn’t elaborate. They said they wanted to speak with you and Jacque after you’d had time to rest.” “Thank you, Rachel,” Fane said, and he could hear the gruff emotion in his voice. “I appreciate you taking time to check on them. I’m sure you and your mate are exhausted.” Rachel smiled warmly. “It’s what pack does.” Fane’s lips lifted slightly. “Yes, it is.” Fane glanced over to see Jen had moved to the other end of the couch where Wadim and Zara sat. She’d handed Thia’s sleeping form to Decebel and then sat with her elbows on her knees and her face resting in her hands. Her shoulders shook, and Fane heard Jen sniffle. Jacque quickly handed Slate to Fane and hurried over to her best friend’s side. Sally still held Titus, but she looked at Jen, and deep love shone in her eyes. Jen was their solid rock. She was the one who held a vampire head up in front of a room full of supernaturals and declared she would have the head of every evil being that stood against them. Yet here she was in front of their group, unable to hold it together. Jacque wrapped her arms around her best friend and pulled her in close. Jen went willingly and, to Fane’s shock, the usually thick-skinned female fell apart. “I know this is ridiculous,” Jen sobbed, “but it bloody hurts. And I will not stand here and pretend that I didn’t just leave my heart out on a damn two-century-old battlefield while I watched the people I love leave us forever.” “Nobody expects you to pretend anything, Jen,” Jacque said gently. “If you need to cry, then dammit, you cry. If you need to scream and curse, do it. We aren’t going anywhere, unless you want us to.” “I want things to go back to the way they were,” she said through heavy tears. “I want Vasile to be here leaning on his desk with his worried brow and strong-as-hell shoulders. And I want Alina at his side, giving us all strength when we’re scared out of our minds. I want your mom to not have lost another man she loves and once again have to bear the burden of being a single parent, because being the single monarch of an entire kingdom is like being a single parent of two hundred people.” Jacque glanced up at Fane, and her eyes filled with tears. His wolf didn’t enjoy seeing her in pain, and he knew it would be a long time until that pain lessened. They each carried a raw wound, and once healed, he knew it would likely reopen many times when memories surfaced. “I want those things, too.” Jacque’s guilt at the admission rushed through their bond like a tidal wave of shame. “I do not begrudge your desire to have my parents back, Luna,” Fane told her. “I have no doubts concerning you, Fane. You’re going to be an amazing alpha. I miss them.” “I know, love. I miss them, too.” Jen continued to cry as Jacque held her. Decebel looked like he wanted to push Fane’s mate away and pick Jen up, but he seemed to understand that his female needed her friend. “We are all hurting,” Fane said as he stood up straighter. “And it will be a hell of a long time before that pain eases. But we will get through this, just like we’ve gotten through all the hell we’ve faced in the past. This won’t destroy us unless we let it. And if we do that, we disgrace my parents’ memory and teachings.” He let his eyes meet the eyes of each person in the room. With every glance, the eyes of the others dropped to the floor. Not even Peri held his stare. “We will take the time the Great Luna has offered us to grieve, and we will do just that. We will mourn, lament, ache for our loss, and yes, probably cuss our current situation. But when it’s time, we will pick our asses up off the floor, and we will be ready to face those who think to stand against the Great Luna. We will not let our losses keep us from doing what is right. “There’s more to talk about, but I’ve decided tonight is not the night. Go home, or go to your suites and rest. Take comfort in the arms of your mates. Hold your children and be thankful that we have a next generation to raise and teach the things that our alpha pair taught us. Jacquelyn and I will check on everyone”—he looked at each of the non-wolf members of the group—“because whether you live here in this mansion or not, whether you are Canis lupus or not, you are a member of our pack and you are mine.” Fane let the statement settle in for a moment, allowing them each to bear the full weight of his power. The power granted him was still new, but it didn’t feel foreign. It was as if he’d known the pack magic was there all along, lying in wait for the time when he would need to step into his place. “Our alpha knew that we would one day rule,” his beast rumbled in his mind. “Yes. He prepared us,” the wolf continued. “We need to do what he taught.” Fane agreed, though he didn’t respond to his wolf. Instead, he turned his attention to Peri and Lucian. “I would ask something of you.” “How can we be of service?” Lucian asked as he took Peri’s hand. Fane didn’t miss the formality with which his uncle spoke to him. He hoped at some point he could rein in his power. Fane knew it was making everyone a little uneasy, like a handshake that was just a tad too tight to be comfortable.