When the brutal Alpha of the Wide River pack turns up in the middle of the night demanding the assistance of a midwife, Nell's heartless mother forces her to go with him to help the Luna. The pack's heir is sickly and Alpha Liam forbids her to leave, even though she is worried about her seriously ill father. A battle of wits commences in which there can be only one winner. Threatened with slavery, bullied and privy to secrets she would rather not have known about, Nell makes a discovery of her own which turns her world upside down. The growing attraction between them only complicates matters. But will the Alpha stand by her at last, or will he reject her?
View MoreThey came to the door in the night. Werewolves from the shifter pack on the other side of the forest. Nell could hear the raised voices from where she sat, worrying, beside her father’s bed. From what she could make out their Luna was about to give birth and the Alpha was demanding assistance from the best doctor for miles around.
Martin Field was going nowhere. He still had a temperature and was weak from lack of food.
“Someone must come. Now!”
Nell flinched on hearing the dominant tone. Hopefully, Mom would stand her ground. She usually did.
But she was in for a shock.
“My daughter will go with you.”
Surely she wasn’t about to send Olivia? The unkind thought as to her elder sister’s usefulness came and went as Nell observed the turning of the doorknob.
“There’s no change, Mom,” she whispered, as if fearful the werewolves might hear.
Rosemary Worthington Field’s thin lips formed into a sneer. “Get your coat, Nell. You’re going on a little trip,” she said.
“Me?”
She couldn’t believe it at first. Not when she was needed here to nurse her father through his unexplained fever.
“The Alpha requested you specifically.”
That was obviously a lie.
“Well, I’m not going,” she dared, reaching across and squeezing Dad’s clammy hand.
“Would you like to tell him that?”
“If I have to,” she muttered.
“He’s waiting on the doorstep.”
Her elder sister poked her head round the door, still yawning.
“What’s all the fuss about?” Olivia wanted to know.
“The Alpha requires a midwife and your sister is being stubborn.”
“As usual.”
That wasn’t new, either, the way the two of them ganged up on her as if she were some freak.
“What’s taking so long?” a voice roared.
Nell flinched. She had heard the Alpha was ruthless and didn’t care who he hurt.
Her mom seized hold of her by the elbow, hauling her to her feet, and dragged her out of the bedroom and down the stairs to the hallway. Nell resisted all the way, but she was small and nowhere near as strong as the woman callous enough to force her into this nightmare.
Alpha Liam was tall and broad with a buzz cut fade and piercing blue-green eyes.
“Please, I’m needed here!” she cried, wresting her arm from her mom’s mean grip. “Father’s sick and needs a lot of care.”
“Is he dying?”
The barked query rocked her.
“I don’t know.”
“Then there’s no question of staying. You will come with me now, woman, or I will torch this place to the ground.”
“You can’t mean that.”
Even Mom looked apprehensive for once.
Olivia took the red duffle coat from its peg and handed it to her, obviously flirting with the Alpha and the two pack members who had accompanied him. With her long dark curls and startling blue eyes, not to mention the revealing nightdress, she outshone Nell in looks and she had resigned herself to being second best.
Except that Alpha Liam was studying her curiously, his wide mouth parted slightly, as she put her arms in the sleeves. She began to panic that her ears weren’t covered by her flaxen hair but he seemed more interested in her face and body. A slow heat rose from the very heart of her and she averted her gaze as she fastened the toggles.
A sudden moan from Martin Field tugged at her heartstrings.
“Tell him I’ll see him tomorrow,” she blurted.
“That’s up to the Alpha,” Olivia said, obviously sucking up.
Nell’s chocolate brown eyes dared to meet the Alpha’s uncompromising ones. “Swear to me, or the deal’s off.”
“Did you not hear what I said?” he snarled. “And I don’t negotiate with humans. Bring her, Jack.”
Tears weren’t far away but she managed to keep them at bay. Glancing round, she saw the hand-made sign swaying in the wind, “Shifters By Appointment Only”, and cringed.
“Not your doing?” The query came from a bearded werewolf who wore his own authority far more lightly.
“I’m sorry if it seems rude.”
“Can I give you a piece of advice? Don’t ever apologise if it’s not your fault. I’m Alpha Liam’s Beta, Jack Williams.”
“Eleanor Field. Though I prefer Nell.”
“Move, woman!”
The Alpha was still furious for some reason and it dawned on her she hadn’t even asked after the Luna.
“But I don’t have any equipment,” she said, stalling for time.
“We have everything you need back at the Wide River pack,” the Beta told her.
“How far along is she? Have her waters broken yet?” Nell asked, switching to what she hoped was convincing professional mode.
“You’ll see.”
Alpha Liam was obviously still in a mood. Strange how he preferred designer stubble to hanging up his razor indefinitely.
“I am sure there is no cause for alarm,” she said. “Is it her first litter?”
“The last.”
Uncertain how to respond to that cryptic reply, Nell held her tongue.
Fall brought its share of uncertain weather and soon it began to rain. Turning round, belatedly, to say her farewells, she was nonplussed to see the door was already closed.
Nell sighed. At least the Beta was friendly, his grey eyes sympathetic rather than hostile.
“Shall we?” he said, gesturing for her to precede him.
Her answering smile was tentative and faded away entirely on hearing Alpha Liam’s impatient growl.
“We don’t have all night.”
Nell wasn't sure why his voice affected her so much.
Jack took pity on her. “Don’t take it to heart. He’s worried about Martha.”
“Is that the Luna?”
But he didn’t have chance to answer.
“Get in, woman,” Alpha Liam ordered.
And she realised he meant her to sit beside him in the passenger seat.
“It’s Nell, Alpha,” she told him, softly, climbing in and placing her hands in her lap.
He glanced at her. “I’m not one for small talk.”
“Me neither,” she said.
“Aw, give it a go, Alpha.”
A different voice, rougher, followed up with a laugh.
“Shut up, Henry. You’re not the one in charge here.”
“Lighten up, cousin. It’s not as if the pups are yours.”
Nell gasped, then covered her mouth with her hands. Should she be privy to such intimate information?
“I – I won’t tell a soul,” she blurted.
“No, you won’t,” Alpha Liam agreed, causing her heart to thump unsteadily.
She swallowed. “You’d be surprised what goes on in the village.”
“Gossip is poison,” he spat.
Nell bridled. “That’s why I never indulge,” she said. It felt good to answer back. After all, she wasn’t beholden to this man, this werewolf. In fact, she was doing him a favour. “As a trainee midwife you hear things. It’s just not possible to close your ears to everything that comes out during labour.”
“Is that so? I’ll have my legal team draw up an NDA.” She assumed he was joking, until he added, “Does your surname have an ‘s’ at the end, or not?”
It was her midwifery skills they wanted rather than her life’s blood. Despite herself, Nell was curious.“Will you break the news to Alpha Liam?”The Beta seemed to understand, even though he was still on all fours and lolloped away in the direction of the packhouse.Poor Jack. She didn’t envy him delivering that piece of information. But if this helped to forge a new alliance, who knew were it might lead? That was all to the good. She’d seen for herself the mingling of different species in the colony.Was she being naïve? Only time would tell.It turned out that she was about to bring yet another hybrid into the world. The human female was yet to be turned and that decision was on hold depending on whether or not her offspring lived and thrived.She was part of history. Fancy that.Alpha Liam was mad, of course, telling her she could have been killed.“Not when I’m performing a service,” she countered.“And when your usefulness was at an end?”“Vampires aren’t vindictive, just needy,
He didn’t have long, but you never knew with his kind. Perhaps loving Electra – had he ever known her real name? – had endowed him with more years. In any case Nell couldn’t forget the bond they’d shared.It was only right Sheriff Bostock released him. As a full-blooded werewolf he needed to face pack justice. Technically, that should be Far Hills, where he had been working and since he had wounded Alpha Warren’s daughter. Still, he’d been aiming for Simon and his instincts hadn’t been as far off the mark as his aim on that occasion.When he’d attempted to kill Liam at the mall, in his crazed state he’d assumed he was Simon. If Rae, her father and her mate, the Alpha King, didn’t want to press charges for the first incident, it was down to the Alpha of the Wide River pack to consider if he wanted to wreak a personal revenge on his mate’s father.Liam didn’t. He wasn’t that vindictive an Alpha. He even indicated Martin Field was welcome to see out his days with them, though not in so m
It took two whole days for Nell to heal, no thanks to her she-wolf side. Rose was a shadow of what she should be and Thom was both anxious and restless. He wanted to mount her but Liam managed to calm him down after a frustrating inner dialogue.Why not?She’s too fragile.That’s the point. My mate needs stimulation.Eventually, maybe.No. Now!In the end he went for a cold shower. He was beginning to wish Pamela hadn’t left the pack for pastures new at the same time as the departure of Simon and his cronies. Whether it was just coincidence or not he supposed he would never know, unless she slunk back and resumed her sluttish ways.Not even Nell had felt sorry for her once he explained it was in her nature and she hadn’t been forced to fuck at least half the unmated warriors.Ida came to see him a short while later. Liam was in his office, drowning in paperwork which he was having to read twice.“Any good at mates’ rights?” he asked, pulling a face.“What? Oh no, hardly.”He hadn’t me
Keeping a cool head was usually second nature to him, but this one was personal. He felt closer to Nell than anyone and was hoping to meet her pups soon. Alpha Liam was part of the clan, even if tenuously, though it was hard to accept Simon as one of them. He preferred to think all the elf genes had gone into the younger twin.Water. The thought whizzed into his head and he realised Nell was in a panic. Going into a trance state he travelled over the geographical features in the vicinity and came to the conclusion she meant him to join her at a fall of water. Could he contact the sprite? There was no harm in trying.Afterwards, he set off at a run, his pointed boots gliding slightly above the grass and soil.The scene which met his eyes was a perilous one. Still safely cloaked in a shield of invisibility, he decided not to communicate with his half-sister. It seemed she was shocked enough already.A she-wolf lay prone, unmoving, yet he sensed a rapid heartbeat.“Isn’t it done yet? Why
We lost Nell.Liam’s blood ran cold when the unusual transmission came through.Robin?Melas. My nephew is tracking them.Where are you?But there was no further message and he hit the wall in frustration, belatedly realising it wasn’t his own office he was damaging.“Sorry, Alpha King.”“Understandable.”The older man came across and began to inspect a crack in the plaster. Liam was convinced this was a wind-up. He was sure it had been there before.“Stop messing with his head, Alpha,” Rae dared.She was flicking through a fashion magazine yet it was clear to Liam it was only a prop to keep her hands busy. Biting her nails had come and gone, as had fidgeting.Brock growled, though it sounded playful to him. He was glad she’d found her special someone. Whether they were fated mates or not was nothing to do with him.Taking a risk, he shared what he knew. It still seemed incredible to him that he may have elvish blood.“I don’t think she’s dead.”Liam winced at the word he’d used. One
The Alpha King was deeply offended. He kept saying so to his security detail in front of a woozy Liam. At least the bleeding had stopped, thanks to his wolf’s superb healing abilities. Thom was both angry and whiny, distressed because he could no longer talk to Rose.What was that about? Was Nell so far away? Invisible, maybe. No, she wouldn’t do that to Ida.Unless she was in contact with her elvish kin. Rose would take a back seat if that were the case.Rae had insisted on tending to his injuries personally.“This is all my fault,” she said. “I should have overseen the issuing of the invitations. A plus one card went by courier to the Red Moon pack. When I found out I assumed they would decline or that Alpha Leo would attend just to show his face.”“Does Alpha Brock know?”She nodded.“He’s very angry with me for the slip up, though doesn’t blame me for – well, what happened afterwards. Do you?”Liam could hardly say so when she was dabbing at his head wound so carefully.“Maybe thi
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