† Maddock †

Sweat beaded on the nape of Sage’s neck and her hair was pulled back in a tight bun as she hovered around the stove. Her hands worked with the precision of a sculptor and she handed out directions like a battlefield general as she moved about her tavern.

My mate was born for this role.

“Are the tables set?” she called to the girls.

“Yes,” Coral screamed. “Floors are dry too. T-minus twenty minutes until the doors open.”

Sage nodded and set a pot of sweet-smelling glaze on the back burner as she knelt down to check the vegetables in the oven.

“Is there anything else I can do to help?” I didn’t want to be sent away again, it was exciting to watch her magic in the kitchen, but I felt like a bump on a log standing there.

“I think we’re good.” Sage wiped her hands on her apron and trailed her fingers across my forearm as she stepped around me.

My wolf puffed up his chest at the attention and I stared at the place on my skin where she’d left a glimmer of magic.

“Alright. I’m going to step outside for a minute,” I said gruffly, clearing my throat as I strode back through the tavern toward the crowd that had gathered outside the windows.

This was the part of the plan I didn’t like. My pack was hardly tame on the best of days and if any of them dared to speak a word of complaint to Sage after all this work she’d done, there was no telling what my wolf would do.

But she’d explained that customers were necessary if she was going to run this business and set down roots here in town. As long as she didn’t plan on leaving, I didn’t mind using my position as enforcer to ensure the wolves that ate here knew the rules.

I was already growling when I stepped out onto the sidewalk in the bright light of the noon sun almost directly overhead.

Lennox was the first in line with Joseph and Alder right beside him. The other two shifters were less of a threat to my anxious wolf since they were both holding the hands of their mates.

Lennox on the other hand looked a little too eager to be here and taste the food my witch had prepared.

“Don’t you have an inn to take care of?” I bit out.

“Still haven’t claimed her yet, have you Enforcer?” Lennox winked, stepping back as I lunged. He put his hands in the air and bared the side of his neck. “While not all of us are as lucky as you to have their mates come stumbling into pack lands, I can assure you that I have no intentions of swaying your mate today with my handsome charms. But I am here at Sage’s request.”

“She requested you?” I stopped, confused, as the twinge of jealousy continued to squeeze my chest.

I don’t like how he smells.

“She asked if I could wrangle a few customers up for the opening

meal.” He smoothed down the wrinkles of his silk black shirt. “I figured it wouldn’t be a good idea to get on your bad side again so I said I’d help her out.”

I took a step back and nodded. It was getting a little easier to deal with the unmated males around Sage now that I knew her feelings for me.

Easier, but not by much.

Maybe they were right and I’d be calmer once I sealed the bond by marking her as my mate.

My wolf howled his approval.

I continued walking away from the crowd to get some fresh air and silence my beast, but that wasn’t working. I needed to get back to Sage.

Make sure she smells like me.

I slammed the door in Lennox’s face to block out the sound of his laughter.

I’d deal with him later.

And my presence alone would have to be enough to keep the pack in

line.

Sage turned to me as I crossed the room with her eyes wide in

excitement and anticipation.

I grabbed her waist, pulling her body against mine, and leaned down to steal a kiss.

“Get a room,” the two pups moaned.

Sage smiled against my lips and broke away to look up at me. “Was that for luck?”

“You don’t need luck.” I pressed my nose against her neck and inhaled her intoxicating cinnamon scent. “They’ll love everything you do.”

“It’s time.” Kera clapped.

Sage took a steadying breath. “Alright, guys. Let’s do this.”

*

Baskets of eggs and cheese, bottles of wine, jars of preserves, and

seasonings were placed in Coral’s hand before being led to an empty seat. The latent pup had a gift, quickly judging wares while tucking them away from sight all while not making anyone feel like they’d brought less.

Sage had insisted this was a pay only what you think is fair event until she worked out a better system and the latent pup did well in not bothering my mate with the details so she could work her magic in the kitchen.

Kera refilled water glasses and chatted with pack members who’d known her since she was a little pup. I was fine playing the endless errand boy and carrying out muffins to start while daring anyone to judge me.

There was a quiet chatter that filled the main room, voices no louder than a hum, and respectful nods sent my way before returning to their conversations. I’d only made the first round through before I realized all twenty seats had been taken and it was only then that I saw what I should have noticed outside.

“Damn it, Lennox.” I growled under my breath.

“You’re seeing it too.” Kera walked past carrying the pitcher of water and spoke to me through the pack link. “Dad’s not going to like this.”

I beelined for Lennox, about to drag him out by his hair and demand an explanation, when there was a scrape of a chair across the floor that drew all eyes to the bar.

“Excuse the interruption.” Sage clapped her hands, quieting all the chatter in the room. She climbed onto the chair so the tables in the back

could see her.

My witch was glowing, her cheeks flushed with anxiety, and all I could do was stare at how beautiful she looked.

“I want to thank you all so much for coming. I know this is a little unorthodox, but I promise I’ll have a seasonal rotating menu in the coming days. For now, I hope you’ll enjoy the meal I’ve prepared and if anyone has any allergies, be sure to let one of my lovely volunteer servers know and I’ll do my best to accommodate your needs.”

Someone snickered behind me and I growled to shut him up.

“I also want to thank you for your support,” Sage continued. “My sister and I are new to this town, but we hope to call it our own soon.”

She paused to smile at me and my heart skipped a beat when we locked eyes.

“My evil plan is to win you all over with a delicious lunch today and if you enjoy it, please tell your friends.”

That earned a round of good-natured laughter and Sage bowed modestly before hopping off the chair.

A hand clapped against my back during the applause that followed her to the kitchen, breaking me from her spell.

“You better claim her fast.” Lennox laughed as he stood beside me. “Outside and don’t make a scene,” I barked through the pack link. “I’m only teasing, Enforcer.” His voice drawled through my mind.

“Everyone can see she only has eyes for you.”

I clenched my fists against my side. “Now.”

“Okay.” Lennox sighed. “But if I miss the first course then I’m asking for my basket of eggs back.”

*

“What were you thinking?” I shoved the shifter against the wall, sending bits of loose brick and mortar tumbling into the alleyway.

“You’re going to have to be more specific than that.” Lennox dusted his shoulders off. “I tend to think of a lot of things.”

“Don’t play games with me.” I shoved him again to drive my point home. “Do you think it’s a laughing matter to start an open rebellion that endangers my mate?”

“To be fair, Sage asked me if I have any friends and these are the ones I have.” Lennox lowered his eyes to not challenge me directly, but the

challenge was still there in his tone. “Plus, these were the shifters anxious to meet our new Luna should the day ever come.”

Today of all days, this had to happen.

I fisted Lennox’s shirt in my hand even as my wolf gave a whisper of something he’d never expressed before.

Maybe he’s right.

“No.” I ground my teeth. “And this is the last time I’ll say it. I am not an alpha and I don’t want to be. If you want to change the ruling of the pack, challenge Apollo yourself. I’ll make sure he fights fair. I’ll take a neutral stance. But I will not kill my brother for a pack that hides in the

shadows and expects someone else to do their dirty work.”

“Very well then.” He nodded as he adjusted his clothes. “If you’ll excuse me, Enforcer, I don’t want to miss lunch.”

My fist hit the brick wall where his head should have been. I was so damn tired of this game.

“Lennox, wait.” I blew out a heated breath. The conversation with my brother was still heavy on my mind. I wasn’t good with talking politics, but for my niece I had to try. “Since you took such a bold stance by gathering all those who despise Apollo in broad daylight, I have to ask if you would support Kera as your future Alpha someday.”

“Honestly?” He shrugged. “Every day she doesn’t challenge her father’s tyrannical reign is another day she loses favor with the majority of this pack. They say that despite her strength, she’s too weak to take over, and if it’s handed to her on a silver platter then she’ll be as bad as he is…”

His voice trailed off as he looked to the sky and then his eyes met mine with his wolf shining through. “But for old time’s sake, I’ll tell you my opinion. I’ll support any Alpha of the Cerberus pack as long as it isn’t Apollo.”

I watched him go as my wolf raged inside me. If word got back to Apollo that all his most vocal opponents had gathered in one place, he was sure to see this as an act of treason no matter how innocent it had been.

He’d be well within his rights to go on a murderous rampage. Any other Alpha would have flushed out all those who threatened him.

And maybe it was my fault for keeping the peace all these years, watching him grow weak in power as his feral wolf took over. But right now was not the time to dwell on these matters.

My mate was more important.

I slipped back into the tavern without ceremony as the shifters were moaning in delight over their lunch. Lennox shot an annoyed glance my way as he took his seat and began devouring his food.

I made my way toward the kitchen where Sage was leaning against the doorframe watching the wolves eat.

“They all stopped talking so that’s a good sign.” Sage put her hand on my arm and rested her head against my chest.

I closed my eyes as I sniffed her hair and held her close, letting her magic soothe my beast.

*

Once the tavern was clean and closed up for the evening, Sage slid across the bench seat of the truck and tucked herself under my arm while the pups climbed into the back.

“I think it went well,” she said dreamily, picking at an errant string on my shirt. “I’ll need to go over the inventory tomorrow and see what we’re working with food wise versus what I can trade, but for now I’m hoping to open regularly with a limited lunch and dinner menu. After a month or so, I should be able to do three meals a day.”

I nodded as I drove, breathing in her calming smell and trying to quiet my racing thoughts.

“Are you okay?” She pulled her head away from my chest and stared up with honey brown eyes. “Your wolf seems restless and your magic is

swirling.”

“Swirling?” I smiled, loving the way her face lit up when she looked at me. I’d never tire of this.

“It’s hard to explain.” She wrinkled her nose. “I’m still trying to figure it out.”

“Was it hard seeing the magic today? I know you were worried about that this morning.” Changing the subject was good. I’d much rather focus on her.

“It wasn’t too bad.” She cuddled back against my chest. “Everyone seemed really happy and they were so nice. Their magic fueled me instead of distracting as long as I didn’t focus too hard on it. I think the longer I live with this, the easier it will become. Except…”

“Except what?” A protective tension knotted my shoulders. If someone had bothered her, I was going to turn this truck around.

“Relax.” Sage grabbed my arm from the back of the seat and wrapped it over her shoulders.

The sensation when my hand brushed against her breasts caused a rush of blood to my groin like a puberty ridden pup, but the tension in my shoulders eased as I stared straight ahead.

“They kept saying I’d make a good Luna and some of the women kept asking when I’d have pups. What do they mean?”

Curse this pack for bringing drama around my mate.

“See? There it is again.” She laughed as she twirled her finger in the air. “The swirling restless magic thing. Are you going to tell me what’s wrong or do I need to work my freaky witchcraft on you?”

“I’m already under your spell.” I tried to bite back my smile and failed. How can anything be wrong in a world where a creature as amazing as this exists? “A Luna is an Alpha’s wife. She’s kind of the female leader of the pack.”

“Oh, so Lisa was a Luna.” Sage nodded. “Wait. Why would they say I’d be a good Luna? I’m not a shifter or a…Oh. Do they want you to be

Alpha of the pack?”

Gods, I didn’t want to get into this. “That’s been the rhetoric for the past few years, but it’s a position I refuse.”

“Because you’d have to challenge your brother,” she concluded. “Do you judge me for not standing up and taking that role?” I asked

quietly, needing to hear her response. In that moment I knew that if she said yes, I’d have gone to Apollo and ended this tonight.

“Not at all.” She traced her fingers along my arm. “I could never hurt Coral no matter what she did and besides, you don’t want to be Alpha. Kera does and if anyone’s asking, she’s the one I’m putting my vote–er– support behind. I know you guys don’t have a voting system.”

“That we don’t.” I chuckled a little at the idea of wolves writing their choice for Alpha on paper. “The strongest in the pack needs to lead.

Wolves would tear each other apart if they didn’t draw on the strength and rule of an Alpha. It’s shifter nature.”

“I get that.” She sighed. “Speaking of nature, Sadie said I should hurry up and accept your mark so that you’d calm down a bit. Is there any truth to that?”

Normally pack gossip annoyed me, but I’d take the help this time. “Maybe. Would you like to find out?”

“Like now?” She shivered as desire and fear coursed through her.

Right now.

I pulled her close, kissing the top of her head, and smiled. “We can wait until you’re ready.”

*

The cabin came too fast and I slowed the truck, breathing Sage’s rich scent to calm my wolf before I let her go. I needed to speak with Apollo to clear the suspicions from his mind before his paranoia got the best of him and he somehow thought Sage or the pups had a hand in today’s events.

“You did amazing today,” I whispered against the top of her head, wishing I could keep her in my arms.

As if she sensed my desire, she laced her fingers through mine, and her hopeful brown eyes turned up to me. “I’m not sure if I’m ready to feel a wolf bite yet, but would you stay the night?”

Screw Apollo.

No, seriously, screw my brother. I’d deal with him in the morning.

*

A night of soft kisses and silent moans pressed against my chest as I teased my witch to the brink and pushed her over the edge, again and again, was enough to make me forget there was a world outside of my den.

I held myself back from taking her fully, knowing the pups would awaken from her cries, but those midnight whispers and the gentle way she’d pulled me into her mouth…

I howled silently against my fist just thinking about it now.

Sage slept deeply, snuggled in our blankets, with her brown hair splayed over my arm. My gaze tracked the soft rise and fall of her naked breasts and the curve of her exposed neck. Her thick eyelashes fluttered with dreams that I hoped were of me.

I planted a gentle kiss on her cheek before pulling my arm out slowly so as not to wake her. She couldn’t have known the gift she’d given me by letting our scents mix in our bed.

As much as it pained me to leave, I wouldn’t be worthy of my mate if I didn’t do everything to protect her.

Outside of the den, I checked the concrete foundation of the second cabin. It was dry enough to start to build on today. I’d move fast so we could be as loud as we wanted soon enough.

I can’t wait.

My wolf howled in the early morning before sunrise as we shifted in the woods and took off at a sprint to Apollo’s house.

*

The coppery scent of blood filled my wolf’s snout as we neared my childhood home. My wolf bared his teeth with hackles raised as we tracked around the property, trying to find the source.

It wasn’t my brother’s blood, that was certain, but we caught the trail easily enough. We took off at a lope through the orchard following it.

The air grew thick with the lingering stench of pain as the sun rose overhead to warm the day. The blood dried on the ground, crunching in the grass under our paws, decaying and hours old.

We circled the edge of the woods, finally catching the scent of others. Shifters from our pack were here.

Apollo was here.

A weak moan from a wounded animal made my wolf’s ears twitch.

He stalked low in the underbrush to investigate the potential prey.

Bile churned in my stomach when we stepped into the clearing.

Three naked flayed human bodies with intestines exposed from slits in their abdomens were strung up in the trees by their hands and feet.

The weak heartbeats were fading drums in my ears.

I shifted fast, pulling back my wolf, as I raced to the men to unbind them from the ropes that kept their human forms instead of retreating to the safety of their wolves.

Lennox’s head rolled back when I ripped the ropes with my bare hands. His eyes were bruised and swollen shut as he coughed blood onto my chest.

“Took you long enough.” His voice was no more than a whisper when he fell to his knees.

“Can you shift?” I steadied his back against a tree and got to work freeing Joseph and Alder.

Lennox’s neck was weak as he tried to nod and his wolf took over to heal him.

Curse my bastard brother.

Joseph had passed out and sagged against my arms as I struggled to hold him upright. I was forced to slap him awake. “I need you to shift,

wolf.”

He woke, licking his split lips with tears filling his eyes. “My boy.

Where is my boy?”

“I’m right here, Dad,” Alder whispered, falling to his hands and knees beside him once I tore off the binds.

The two men shifted together and their wolves moved closer, curling into one another as they lowered to the earthen floor while panting with pained breaths.

“When?” My skin burned hot and anger tensed every muscle as I spoke to Lennox through the pack link.

The black wolf opened one yellow and bloodshot eye as his body tried to mend. “Last night.”

A rage I’d didn’t know I could possess coursed through my veins. I turned to march through the woods with one intent.

“Enforcer, I told him Sage had nothing to do with this.” Lennox’s voice drifted to me as I started to run.

“I know.” My heart hardened after witnessing the sickness that had plagued our territory. This was a threat I’d let take over for far too long. Apollo was no Alpha. He was a drunken fool that brought dishonor to our family name. “I’ll handle it.”

*

“Where are you, you bastard?” My fangs elongated as I stomped into the house. My wolf was foaming at the mouth, ready to kill after the sick

scene of blood and gore he’d witnessed.

“I figured you would have been here earlier.” Apollo flexed as he rolled up his sleeves and pushed his breakfast dishes away on the table.

Had he been drunk, I would have killed him then, but the sight of him stone cold sober gave me pause.

“Is this what you’ve become?” I pointed to the woods outside the window as spit flew from my lips.

“I was just about to cut them down.” Apollo smirked. “It seems you saved me the hassle.”

My wolf snarled at the injustice of his words. “That was a coward’s display.”

Apollo’s beast surged forward, but he remained in control. “Would you prefer if I had killed them?”

“Cut the bullshit, Apollo. They are submissive wolves and don’t stand a chance against an Alpha.” I slammed the ten-foot oak table against the wall so he was left in the dining hall sitting in his seat with no protection.

He didn’t rise to the challenge. “Which is why I didn’t kill them. But they’ll get the message now that I’m done with this pack conspiring against me.”

“Do you think by using gruesome torture that you’ll earn the respect of the pack you’ve lost?” This was madness. He’d gone over the edge. “A true Alpha protects his pack. He doesn’t leave them hurt and defenseless in the woods to prove some kind of point.”

“What would you know about being an Alpha, Sigma brother of

mine?” Apollo raised the linen napkin from his lap and blotted it against his lips. “But I want to thank you for that heart-to-heart conversation we had

the other night. You were right. It’s time for me to regain control of the pack.”

End this.

My wolf surged forward, changing my hands into claws, but before I took a step toward my brother, the useless Beta busted in.

“Alpha.” Bruce lowered his head in submission while his body stunk up the room. “I checked the borders for you as we discussed and there’s a fresh scent from the Fenrir pack that has encroached on our lands.”

“You sent a Beta to mark the borders?”

He’d officially lost his mind. Any shifter who approached those markings would know we were an easy target and move in.

“I sent my second in command to do the job the Enforcer of our pack was too busy to do.” Apollo slowly rose from the chair and began unbuttoning his shirt. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m needed to ensure that our territory is safe.”

He kicked off his boots and folded his clothes neatly on top of them before striding towards the door.

I shook my head, trying to dispel the twisted nightmare.

This was what I wanted for years, for Apollo to lead again. So why did I have such a sick feeling in my gut that this was a horrible mistake?

Brown hair sprouted along Apollo’s body and his claws extended, but he looked back to me mid-shift to smile. “Oh, and give my apologies to your witch, but the tavern is no longer operational until I see fit to change

the rules and the pack knows not to defy me.”

“What did you do?” My voice was laced with the fury of my wolf.

Bruce laughed, cowering from the intensity of my gaze and shifted as he ran with tail tucked between his legs through the trees.

“What had to be done.” Apollo’s eyes glowed with Alpha power. “If we are to give Kera a pack of supporters like you suggested, then we need to stop the rebellion.”

Rip his heart out. My wolf was snarling, snapping at the human binds that restrained him.

I struggled with everything I had to hold him back. There was so much more at stake that the wolf didn’t understand. Human politics he didn’t care to listen too. If Apollo really wanted to help Kera, we could fix this somehow.

We could…

Stop protecting him, my beast cried.

Apollo shifted. His massive brown wolf took off into the woods without a backwards glance and instinct told me it was not the time to give chase.

He’d done something unforgiveable. I’d seen it in his eyes.

I had to get back to my mate.