Page 27 of Lone Wolf’s Claim (The Kincaid Werewolves #1)

H eather sat in the heavy silence of the room, tears slipping silently down her cheeks. No one had moved or spoken since Brock had walked out. She felt like she’d just been through a bad episode of Survivor. She was dirty, tired, and she hurt like a bitch, both inside and out.

She studied the woman still standing quietly just inside the doorway, trying to keep the green eyed monster at bay and failing miserably.

She was the most gorgeous creature Heather had ever seen.

Short, choppy, black hair perfectly framed an elfish face.

Large, dark eyes dominated her features, almost drawing your attention from her perfectly formed full lips, but not quite.

Tight jeans and a clingy shirt accentuated a small hourglass figure.

Heather felt like a big, fat hippo just being in the same room with her.

That was the kind of woman Brock should be with.

One that was just as beautiful as he was.

She couldn’t blame him for wanting to be with her.

But this whole “forced” business? Yeah, that was a crock of shit.

Brock was the kindest, most gentle and protective male she’d ever met.

He would never force himself on a woman.

He wouldn’t need to. Any woman in her right mind would want to be with him.

Next, her attention was drawn to the adorable child next to her, digging at the floor with the toe of his shoe. He was just as beautiful as his mother, only with lighter skin, hair, and features.

She was a fool. It was stupid of her to ever think that a man like him would want someone like her.

I will never forget you.

Another tear slipped down her face as she remembered what he’d just told her. That was kind of him to do that, to say that stuff. So that she didn’t feel like a complete idiot.

“That did not turn out as I had expected.”

The words came from the silver-haired male sitting next to her. His fingers were tapping on the arm of his chair, his expression lost in thought.

“Yeah, well, if you’re done with me,” she began as she started to get down from the stool. She just wanted to go home: Home to her own apartment, with her own shower, and her own lonely bed. Maybe she’d get a dog. Or a cat. Or five. Cats were easier. You didn’t have to walk them.

But he grabbed her hand and pulled her back down. “Oh no, dear. I’m nowhere near done with you. Stay awhile, why don’t you?”

She felt herself being pushed back into her chair, although no one was touching her.

Finished with this loon and his amusements, her temper snapped.

Swinging her arm to the side, she pushed away his control with a force of will she wasn’t aware she had and stood up again.

“Fuck you, prince whatever-the-hell-your-name-is. I’m going home.

Far away from you and your Wonderland games. ”

“Nada,” he said.

She rolled her eyes. “What? I don’t speak Spanish.”

“That’s my name. Prince Nada. Your prince, Heather Knight.”

“You’re not my prince.”

“Oh, but I am. Whether you like it or not. Now please,” he indicated the empty chair next to him. “Please. Sit down and hear me out. Then if you would still like to leave, I won’t stop you.”

She knew she shouldn’t trust him, but as she was too tired to fight her way out of there, she did as he asked. Since he’d been so polite about it and all.

“Wha’ aboot us?” Cedric asked. “I cannae see that our presence here is still needed now that yer little show is over.”

The prince smiled at him. “You are correct, good sir. I will send you all home.” He lifted his hand, and a strong wind whistled through the kitchen, blowing Heather’s hair into her face.

The floor rumbled as he snapped his fingers and a large, dark chasm opened up behind Thomas, the woman, and the child.

With a “whoosh”, they were gone, the child’s dwindling scream echoing through the room.

He swung his arm toward his other guests, but then he paused.

“Oh! Just one thing, Mr. Kincaid. The werewolf - Brock Hume. He is all that you think he is, and is worthy of being offered a place in your pack. Believe it or not, he’s proven himself today more so than even I had ever thought possible. ”

“I dinna ken aboot that. No’ after what I just heard.”

“You may want to ask the male standing next to you what he thinks about the matter before you pass a final judgment.” With a snap, they were gone.

“Please don’t do that to me again,” Heather begged. “I barely survived the first time. I’d much rather be squished into coach on a regular old plane with everyone else.”

Rising elegantly from his chair, Prince Nada paced away from her, his hands clasped behind his back. He walked the length of the kitchen and back, his head lowered in thought. When he made it back to her, he smiled and nodded to himself before pulling his chair around to face her and taking a seat.

“Forgive me for my bit of fun that I had with you two. I’m sure there was a less…disruptive…way to find out what I needed to know about you both. But I am getting old, and with trying to stay under the human’s radar and all of that, I don’t have much fun anymore.”

“What exactly was the point of all of this?” she asked, waving her hand in front of her to encompass him, the house, and the entire past week.

Prince Nada gave her an intense stare, watching her closely as he carefully chose his next words.

“It was…for many reasons. The coins were just for fun. But mostly, it was about you. By the way,” he said in an aside.

“Be glad you didn’t find out what the losing coin would have brought on when you two were at the spring. ”

She didn’t even want to think about that. “Me?” she squeaked. “It was about me ?”

“Yes, you.”

Heather sat back in her chair and rubbed her forehead. “Before a few days ago, you didn’t even know I existed. How can this be about me?”

“Oh, I knew that you existed. I just didn’t know where you were. My powers are great, but unfortunately, they are limited. And after all of this time, daughter, I needed to know if all of those years you’d lived as a human had ruined you.”

“Why do you keep calling me daughter? I’m not your daughter.”

“But you are. You are all my children. This entire Fae tribe. Mine to enjoy, and mine to watch over. We are connected.” He hooked his two index fingers together and a wistful smile saddened his features.

“This world used to belong to us. Our people used to frolic together in the flowers, sleep in the trees under the stars, and eat the food that grew naturally from the ground. We used to take care of the plants, the forests, and the animals. Other than a minor squabble or two over a female or a crop, we lived in peace and harmony with everything around us.”

“We still live like that, only with a few more modern conveniences.”

But he shook his head. “No. It was different. We didn’t have to hide what we were.

Even when the humans started multiplying, invading more and more of our world, we were able to live in harmony with them.

We had a little fun with them at times, but nothing that would hurt them.

” He heaved a deep sigh. “That is, until someone, somewhere, decided that humans were more than just interesting creatures we could harmlessly play with.”

A frown wrinkled his brow. “I still don’t know who it was exactly that started all of the feeding off of the humans.

” He waved his hand around like he was fanning away an unpleasant odor.

“But no matter. It was done. They told someone, who told someone, who told someone. Next thing you know, we had an epidemic on our hands. Our people were addicted. Oh, not all of us,” he was sure to point out.

“But enough. The humans became frightened of us, with good reason. They began to hunt the Fae. Good ones, bad ones, it didn’t matter. They didn’t know the difference.”

“I still don’t understand what this has to do with me,” Heather said.

Resting his elbows on his knees, he leaned closer to her. “Because they’re coming.”

Heather cocked an eyebrow. “Who is coming?”

“The ones that steal the souls.”

“I thought they were locked away somewhere? Like in some other dimension or something?” She frowned. “Wait a minute. So, where the hell did I just spend the last week?”

He chose to only answer her first question.

“They are. They are. But that portal is going to open, and soon. And then they’ll be out, running amok amongst the good people of this world.

And I’m afraid that this time, it will be the end for the humans.

The bad ones will be like rabid beasts when they come out of there. ”

“Well,” Heather cast about for something to ease the very real concern she saw on his face. “Can’t you just put them back in there?”

An ecstatic smile lit up his eyes and spread across his face. “Yes! And we will! But it will take all of us. Fae, werewolves…everyone. And you, you will help us too.”

“I will?”

“You must. It’s all up to you, my dear. You are the key.”

Heather fought the urge to roll her eyes. What a drama queen this dude was. “You lost me again there, prince.”

“You and the wolf, Brock. You two will bring us together again to fight the life-takers. And now that you are coming into your magic again, you will be a great asset to us.” A rainbow of colors began to come and go in the irises of his eyes, like a freaky kaleidoscope spinning inside his skull.

“With you as his mate, the wolves will feel honor bound to help us again. And they must! They must defend us! This war, daughter…this war is going to be so much worse than the last time. These Fae have been locked away for hundreds of years, they must be completely stir crazy by now. If not from boredom, than from the withdrawals they are most certainly still suffering from…”

She held up a hand to stop his blathering.

“There’s just one problem here. Well, two actually.

One: I am not Brock’s mate. In case you didn’t notice, he left me here.

And judging from the woman he was with before, I’m not exactly his type.

Surprise, surprise.” She fought down the acid that rose in her throat to admit it out loud.

“And two: He doesn’t belong to a pack. He’s a sib…

something. Or sub…something. He’s a lone wolf.

Kicked out. Banished. Why would any of the others band together with him to help him fight our war? ”

But the Fae prince just smiled. “The first concern is not even a concern. He is madly in love with you. Or he will be, very soon. For now, he lusts after only you. You are meant to be,” he whispered.

Heather’s eyes flashed up to him.

“And the second,” he continued. “Is already in the works. Brock will not be a lone wolf for much longer.”

“He loves me?” she breathed. Then she narrowed her eyes. “How do you know this?”

Prince Nada laughed out loud. “How do you not?”

Her parents were correct. The dude was a loon. “That’s not even funny.”

“He’s just outside. Right down the street. On his knees from the pain of losing you for the entire world to see. If you hurry, you can catch him before the sun rises and the humans wake up to chase him away. For then, it will be too late.”

When she didn’t move, he stood up and grabbed her by the arm to lift her to her feet. “Go! Go! We can talk more later.”

Heather winced as he gave her an overly enthusiastic push toward the door, uncaring of her remaining injuries that hadn’t quite healed yet.

“All right! All right. I’m going. Jeez.” Taking him up on this opportunity to get the hell out of there, she limped as fast as she could go to the front door and let herself out.

Stepping out onto the small porch, she hobbled down the steps and stopped to get her bearings.

A light, misty rain was falling, and she took a deep breath of the fragrant air.

She would be sad later, when she was home.

She would cry, and eat ice cream, and watch bad T.V.

once she reached the comfort of her own couch.

Right now, she was running on autopilot.

Glancing to her left, she squinted in the darkness, trying to decide on the quickest way to a phone.

After the brightness of the kitchen, she could barely see anything.

She briefly thought about going back in to see if His Craziness had one he would let her use, but decided she would rather hobble all the way back to the airport and find a phone there.

As her eyes adjusted, she thought she remembered coming in from her right, so she turned in that direction. She hadn’t gone three uneven steps when she stopped short. There, in the middle of the road about a hundred yards away, was a giant heap of something large and dark.

It was Brock. On his knees. Just down the street.