Page 4 of Red Hood, Bad Wolf (Cursed Kingdoms)

T he pack house great room crackled with tension. Rowan stood slightly apart from the gathering, her magic cataloging everyone’s reactions, the stiffening shoulders when she moved, the subtle shifts away, the barely disguised hostility. Most of all, she felt Alder at the head of the room, their mate bond making it impossible to ignore the power and anger rolling off him in waves.

And judging by the wrinkled noses and sideways glances, every wolf in the room could smell that she still carried his scent from their kiss yesterday.

Elder Marcus caught it first, his weathered face darkening as he sniffed the air. His eyes narrowed as he looked between them, lips curling in barely concealed disgust. Around him, the other older wolves shifted restlessly, their disapproval apparent.

Serenity, the beta, kept her face carefully neutral, but her rigid posture and clenched jaw screamed volumes. Only the younger pack members seemed more curious than hostile. Danny, the newly turned wolf, kept shooting her encouraging smiles, while his sister Erin practically vibrated with romantic excitement.

"We have two leads to pursue," Alder announced, his voice steady despite the electricity arcing between them through the bond. Rowan felt his struggle to maintain professional distance, matching her own effort to focus on the investigation rather than the pull between them. "The territorial markings suggesting River Valley pack involvement, and the local evidence including the cave discoveries."

“I wouldn’t put it past them to sic the Red Hoods on us,” Elder Marcus's words carried clearly, dripping with suspicion. "Convenient timing. Just like when they came for your mother."

The mate bond flooded with Alder's anger and pain. Rowan felt his surge of protectiveness, saw his hands clench at his sides. But before he could respond, Mae spoke up from her corner armchair.

"Now Marcus, dear, let's be reasonable." Her smile was pure grandmotherly concern, but something in her tone made Rowan's magic prickle uneasily. "The poor girl's here to help. Though I do remember when River Valley's alpha mentioned expanding their hunting grounds at the last council..." She let the words trail off suggestively, then added, "They've never forgiven us for that territory dispute twenty years ago. When we had to be firm about our boundaries."

Several older wolves nodded at this, their suspicion redirecting. Rowan noticed how skillfully Mae had shifted the conversation while appearing to help. Even the way she sat, seemingly fragile in her floral dress, made her words seem more harmless than they were.

"Grandmother has a point," Alder said. "I'll investigate the territory dispute personally. Rowan will continue interviewing pack members and examining local evidence."

Serenity's disapproval sharpened. "Alpha, if something happens to the Red Hood, her whole order will come down on us."

"I can handle myself," Rowan said quietly.

"Of course you can, dear." Mae patted her hand, her grip surprisingly strong. "And I'll help however I can. I know all the old stories about pack disputes. Did I mention the time River Valley's previous alpha tried to claim our southern forest? Such a nasty business. He learned why we've held this territory so long." Her sweet smile didn't reach her eyes. "Some lessons have to be... taught firmly."

The meeting broke up into tense clusters. The divide in the pack became physically apparent—younger wolves like Danny and Erica gravitating toward Rowan's side of the room, older ones drawing away. The air filled with heated whispers:

"—mate bond, you can smell it on both of them—"

"—can't trust Red Hoods, they're all killers—"

"—Alpha knows best, and she's different—"

"—not natural, mixing witch and wolf blood—"

"—so romantic though, like the old tales—"

"—remember what they did to his mother—"

Rowan caught Mae watching the growing divide with sharp eyes, though her expression remained benignly concerned. The older woman drifted between groups, dropping careful comments that somehow managed to validate both sides while deepening the rift.

"Change is hard," she told the older wolves sympathetically. "We must protect our traditions." Then to the younger ones: "Young love is so precious. But of course, pack harmony must come first."

Alder's hand brushed Rowan's lower back as he passed, sending heat sparking through her. His power wrapped around her instinctively, like a comforting hug. "My office, ten minutes?" His voice was rough. "To coordinate our investigation."

She nodded, ignoring the disapproving huffs from the elders and the knowing smirks from younger pack members. Professional distance. They could manage that.

The interviews proved even more challenging than the meeting. Pack members filed into the small study one by one, their reactions ranging from open hostility to nervous support. Each conversation felt like navigating a minefield of old prejudices and new possibilities.

"Never seen the Alpha so drawn to someone," Erin admitted during her interview, practically bouncing in her seat. "It's kind of romantic, actually. Like those old tales about fated mates. The way you look at each other..." She sighed dreamily. "And you're not what we expected. You actually try to help wolves, not just kill them."

But the next interview, with James, a middle-aged enforcer, turned arctic the moment he entered. "Red Hoods killed my cousin," he growled, refusing to sit. "Said he was feral. He wasn't. Just like the Alpha's mother wasn't."

"The Order has changed," Rowan began, but he cut her off.

"Pretty words won't change what you are. Or what you'll do to this pack." His eyes flashed wolf-gold. "You'll destroy us from within, witch. And some of us won't stand for it."

The threat hung in the air between them until Serenity intervened, calling James away for patrol duty. But the beta's sympathetic look was for him, not Rowan.

The morning wore on. Each interview revealed the growing schism in the pack, even as they provided pieces of evidence that seemed to support the territory dispute theory. Almost too many pieces, Rowan realized. Strange scraps of fabric with River Valley pack colors. Reports of unauthorized scent markers. Distant howls that might be warnings or might be threats.

It was all circumstantial, yet it built a compelling picture.

"Find anything interesting, dear?" Mae appeared with a tray of coffee and honey cookies. "Alder just found out that it seems the River Valley's been moving some old boundary markers. Such a shame, really. In the old days, packs knew to respect territories." She sighed, settling into a chair with a wince. "Now they think they can just take what they want. The young ones forget the old ways of dealing with trespassers."

"Have there been many trespassers lately?" Something about Mae's tone made Rowan's magic stir uneasily.

"Oh yes. Especially near the deep forest." Mae's eyes glittered with an emotion Rowan couldn't quite name. "I still walk there sometimes, gathering herbs. You see all sorts of interesting things. Just yesterday I found these caught in some brambles." She produced some scraps of fabric. "Look like they're from River Valley, don't they? Their pack colors."

The evidence seemed almost too perfect. But Mae was just trying to help, wasn't she? And the territory dispute theory did fit some of the facts, especially if the River Valley was trying to weaken the pack. But getting the Red Hoods involved seemed over the top, even for territory hungry wolves.

***

A LDER WAS PISSED. THIS was looking more and more like a set up. The River Valley was killing humans and planting evidence to bring the Red Hoods down on them. And for what? Inches of forest land?

If the Red Hoods had sent anyone else but Rowan, all of this could have been deadly.

"The River Valley's been here," Serenity confirmed, nose wrinkling. "Recently. And look—" She indicated scratches that had deliberately obscured the original boundary runes. "They're trying to move the line."

It fit the theory perfectly. Almost too perfectly, a voice that sounded like Rowan whispered in his mind. Through their strengthening bond, he sensed her working her own investigation back at the pack house. Her frustration. Her determination. Her longing that echoed his own.

Focus. He was Alpha first. This mate bond was a distraction that needed to be settled soon. But these murders needed his full attention right now. No matter how much his wolf howled at the separation, he couldn’t afford to let his guard down.

"Signal's weak out here," Serenity noted, checking her phone. "If River Valley's watching, we'd never know until—"

A howl split the air. Not pack, not friendly. Serenity shifted instantly, fur rippling over skin as she charged toward the sound. Alder followed, power surging as he took wolf form.

They found two younger enforcers cornered by three River Valley wolves. The fight was brief but vicious. When it ended, the rival wolves fled, leaving behind torn scraps of clothing whose colors and fabric did match the fragments found near the cave.

"They're getting bolder," Serenity growled, shifting back. "First the markers, now this. The murders must be—"

"Maybe." But the scent was different. These scraps smelled like foreign wolves. The scraps they found just smelled...evil.

His phone chimed, but there wasn’t a message. Damned signal.

Then something pinged inside him.

Rowan?

Problem at pack house. Come quickly.

Urgency flooded through him.

He shifted back into his wolf form and ran back to his pack house.

He heard the argument before he reached the great room. James's voice rang out, accusatory: "—consorting with our natural enemies. The Red Hoods exist to kill us.”

"Rowan's different. She's his mate,” Erica said.

"She's a were-hunter and isn’t fit to be the Alpha’s mate.”

Alder burst in to find the pack divided literally and figuratively—James and the traditionalists on one side, the younger wolves on the other. Rowan stood in the middle, power crackling around her as she maintained a barrier between the factions.

Her magic sang to his wolf even as his heart swelled with pride. She wasn't fighting. She was protecting both sides from doing something they'd regret.

Shifting back into human form, he ordered, "Enough!" His Alpha power rolled through the room. The wolves subsided, though tension still crackled.

"Perhaps everyone needs tea," Mae suggested from her chair, appearing concerned. "Such hot heads, just like that business with River Valley twenty years ago. Remember how that ended, James?"

James paled slightly. "That was different, Mae. You know it was."

"Was it?" She smiled benignly. "The young forget so much. But some of us remember the old ways. When pack was everything."

Something in her tone made the hair on Alder's neck rise, but before he could examine why, Rowan swayed slightly. The barrier spell dropped as exhaustion caught up with her.

He caught her elbow, uncaring of their audience. The mate bond flared between them, and suddenly he couldn't remember why they were fighting this connection.

"My office," he growled. "Now."

The door had barely closed behind them when he pulled her close, burying his face in her hair. Her magic reached for him as his power wrapped around her, the bond singing with completion.

"This is insane," she murmured against his chest. "We barely know each other."

"My wolf knows you." He drew back enough to meet her eyes. "My power knows you. And I'm tired of fighting it."

"The pack—"

"Will adjust." His hands framed her face. "I choose you, Rowan. Whatever comes next, I choose you."

This kiss was different from their other—deeper, more certain. No holding back, no professional distance. Just recognition of what they were becoming together. Her magic twined with his power until he couldn't tell where he ended and she began.

"Is this really happening?" she whispered, her breath hot against his skin.

"Can't you feel it?" Alder replied, his voice rough with need. Their mutual desire crackled between them, a tangible force that demanded surrender.

"Of course I do," she admitted, her fingers gripping his shirt tightly.

He felt her shudder beneath his touch, her body agreeing even as she struggled to find words. They both knew the truth: they were meant for each other, bound by forces beyond their control. There was no turning back now.

Alder felt the heat of Rowan's body pressed against him, their breaths mingling as they sought each other. He found her lips with his own, tasting the hunger that mirrored his as he deepened the kiss. He explored every inch of her body with his hands, savoring the taste of her skin as he kissed her neck, her shoulders, her breasts.

"Touch me," Rowan begged, arching her back as Alder caressed her nipples. She reached for the waistband of his jeans, her fingers deftly undoing the button and zipper. Her hand wrapped around his cock with an urgency that left him breathless. As she stroked him, he surrendered to the pleasure, his senses overwhelmed by the intensity of their connection.

"Does that feel good?" she asked, her voice sultry and breathless.

"More than you know," Alder replied, his words muffled against her breast. The sensation of her hand pumping him was sheer bliss, but he needed more. He wanted to possess her completely, to feel her body shudder as she came undone around him.

Alder's world narrowed to the sensation of Rowan's soft lips meeting his, their breaths mingling as her tongue traced a path along his. This kiss was different from their others—deeper, more certain.

He growled softly as he peeled off her last piece of clothing, revealing her naked form, flushed and beautiful.

"Look at you," he breathed, appreciating the sight before him. "So perfect."

He ran his hands across her body, reveling in the way she shivered beneath his touch. His fingers traced patterns on her skin, memorizing every curve and contour as her own hands mirrored his actions.

Alder's senses were overwhelmed by the intoxicating scent of Rowan's arousal filling the room. The sound of her ragged breaths and the heat from her flushed skin consumed him. He trailed his lips down her neck, feeling her pulse throb beneath his touch, before moving to her breasts.

He sucked on one nipple, teasing and tugging it gently with his teeth, while he played with the other between his fingers. The soft whimpers escaping Rowan's lips fueled his own desire even more. His hand slid between her thighs, finding her slick, wet pussy waiting for him. He caressed and teased her clit, feeling Rowan squirm against his touch. "You're so wet for me," he growled into her ear, needing her to understand just how much her pleasure excited him.

"Only for you," she moaned, her grip on his cock tightening as she continued to stroke him with increasing urgency.

Alder backed her up against the wall, urging her legs wide apart. Her back pressed against the cool surface as he never stopped playing with her clit. Rowan pumped his cock furiously, driving him to the edge until he finally spilled over, coming across her stomach in hot, intense pulses.

"Rowan," he murmured, nibbling at her neck, tasting the saltiness of her sweat. Her body tensed, her breath hitching as she neared her own climax.

"Please," she gasped, the plea barely audible as it passed her lips. "Alder, I'm so close."

"Come for me, Rowan," he whispered against her skin, the words like a spell that broke through her last remaining barriers. Her body convulsed beneath his touch, her moans filling the air as her pussy throbbed with the force of her release.

The afterglow of their previous orgasms still radiated between them, both panting and slick with sweat. Alder pulled away from Rowan's neck, his eyes darkened with desire as he took in the sight of her flushed face and trembling limbs.

"Rowan, you have no idea how much you please me," he growled, his voice thick with need. He dropped to his knees before her, pushing her legs apart to reveal the glistening wetness that awaited him.

The scent of her arousal filled his nostrils, driving him wild. He buried his face between her thighs, his tongue eagerly parting her lips and delving deep into her core. The taste of her was intoxicating, a mixture of sweet and salty that made his inner wolf howl with delight.

Her thighs began to shake, pressing against his cheeks as he continued to lavish attention on her pussy. With each flick of his tongue, Rowan whimpered and trembled, her body reacting to his every touch. The room seemed to spin around them as their connection intensified.

"Don't stop," she moaned, her fingers tangling in his hair as she struggled to maintain her balance.

He responded with a growl, the vibrations sending shivers up her spine. The sensation pushed her over the edge, and she came, drenching his face in her release. He lapped at her hungrily, savoring every drop until she was left a quivering mess.

With a roar of primal satisfaction, Alder rose to his feet and swept everything off his desk with a single swipe of his arm. Papers and office supplies clattered to the floor as he bent Rowan over the now-empty surface, her ass exposed and inviting.

"Mine," he snarled, gripping her hips and thrusting into her without warning. The force of his entry made her gasp.

"Yes," she panted, meeting his thrusts with abandon.

He fucked her hard and fast, growling and snarling as the bond between them hummed with power. There was no holding back now, no pretense of control. They were completely lost to each other, their bodies melding together in a frenzy of passion.

The slap of their flesh echoed through the office, the sound raw and erotic. With each thrust, Alder pumped into her, his cock driving deeper as he sought to claim her fully. She was his mate, and he would make sure she knew it.

Alder felt the tightness of Rowan's body clenching around his cock, her pleasure evident as she cried out his name. The intensity of their connection was overwhelming, a primal force that threatened to consume them both. He could feel her orgasm building again, coaxing him to follow.

"Rowan," he groaned, voice strained from their passionate union. "I can't take it much longer."

"Me neither," she gasped, digging her nails into the edge of the desk. "I need you to come with me."

As if on command, her body convulsed around him, milking him for every ounce of pleasure. Unable to resist, Alder filled her with his essence and sealing their bond even further.

Yet, even after they reached their climax, something inside him couldn't let go. Their bodies were still connected, and Alder found himself continuing to rock slowly within her, their shared aftershocks causing reality to blur and warp around them.

He pressed warm kisses along her spine, tasting the saltiness of her sweat mixed with the sweetness of her skin. His lips traveled lower, nipping gently at her ass before he knelt behind her once more.

Alder buried his face between her legs again, savoring the taste of their mingled juices. He licked and suckled her pussy, driven by the desire to bring her to another peak. Rowan's moans filled the room, her fingers gripping the desk for support as her body trembled in ecstasy. He continued to lavish attention on her, relishing in the feel of her thighs pressing against his cheeks. When she finally came again, it was with a shuddering gasp that seemed to vibrate through her entire body.

"Enough," Rowan murmured weakly, her hands reaching back to stroke his hair. "I can't take any more."

Alder reluctantly pulled away, his chest heaving from exertion and desire. He helped Rowan stand upright, the two of them leaning against each other for support as they tried to catch their breath.

"Are you okay?" he asked, concern lacing his words as he searched her face for any sign of distress.

"More than okay," she assured him, a soft smile curving her lips. "Just... overwhelmed."

"Me too," he admitted, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "But I wouldn't trade this for anything."

"Neither would I," she agreed, their eyes locking in a moment of shared understanding.

After as they held each other, reality began to creep back in. Rowan traced patterns on his chest, her touch both soothing and igniting. "The pack's divided."

"They'll come around." He caught her hand, kissed her palm. "You protected them today, even the ones who hate you."

"And River Valley?"

"We found more evidence in the deep forest." He told her about the fight, the matching fabric. "It seems clear that there isn’t a loup and you’ve been sent here under false pretenses."

She absently played with his chest hair. “I sensed a loup. I know there’s one out there. I think we could be looking at two different situations.”

“I don’t mind you staying longer, just to make sure.” He wondered how they would handle being separated now that they were truly mates. Would she stay with his pack? Or would he always feel a part of her when she was off doing Red Hood business. Would they be casual lovers or would this grow into something more serious? The timing just sucked for this, but he couldn’t complain. Not when his wolf was sated, and he felt whole for the first time since his parents left him.

A howl of alarm cut off his thoughts. They dressed hastily and ran outside to find Danny supporting a badly wounded wolf—one of River Valley's enforcers.

"Found him by the edge of our territory, sneaking in," Danny gasped. "He says they're not responsible for the killings. Someone's been leaving false evidence, trying to start a war between the packs."

The enforcer's eyes rolled with pain and fear as Rowan knelt beside him. "I saw someone planting marks. They were wearing a red cloak"

Alder felt Rowan's shock through their bond. A red cloak like hers? But before they could question him further, the enforcer passed out.