Werewold Alpha Queen: Fate, Flesh, and Fangers

Part One: StrengthWater lies useless against the cracks of my dry lips. I use my tongue to take in what I can, but the water could be candy and still not get slurped down into my throat. Sigh. Where is Marta? I scan the room, but as suspected, I’m alone.Changing was nothing new among my kind, but regretting it was unheard of. I did regret it, though. I didn’t think about the strength gained or the senses heightened. Instead, I thought of the pain every time the new bones in my back cracked.Would this sharp-jawed, 6’2 empty-headed wolf even appreciate my sacrifice to become his mate? The elders said he had selected me, but I knew that was a lie. Glynn was a playboy, and all he thought about was warm bodies and solid food. I was just a sleeve for cubs to come through.Even my mate mark—faint, shallow, barely more than a pinprick—told the truth. A true match left scars deep enough to brand the soul. Mine? The elders had bitten, torn, and tried to force my body to accept him, but no mat

Low murmurs ripple through the hall like a rising storm, the weight of unspoken judgments pressing against my chest. The elders, draped in ceremonial robes, move toward the central platform with the solemn grace of those who have seen centuries of bloodshed and hard-won victories. Their faces, etched with wisdom and battle scars, remain unreadable as they take their places.In the middle of a circle of wolves, a frail, trembling figure curls inward, barely clothed, her skin too pale against the flickering torchlight. A vampire—small, human-like, and fragile-looking—yet undeniably dangerous. I’ve never seen one this close before. Today will be one for the history books.“You bloodsuckers dare to spy on us?” Justine’s voice slices through the silence, a blade sharpened by generations of fury. Her red hair burns under the torchlight as she grabs the vampire’s face, fingers pressing deep enough to leave marks. “I asked you a question.” It wasn’t a question as much as an accusation. Thi

Glynn and I both look up into the trees, but we can’t see the owner of the voice. The darkness of the trees wraps around us as if a thick blanket, and for a moment, there is this unnatural silence that feels heavy. I can sense the presence there, just beyond my line of sight.I think it’s some twisted prank, maybe one of the clan testing our nerves. There’s something about the air that changes. The hairs on the back of my neck rise. I move my hand into Glynn’s, naturally reaching for comfort, but it’s more than that, I’m grounding myself, as much for him as for me.Glynn, ever the defender, is already poised in a way that makes it clear he’s ready for a fight. Every muscle in his body is tight with eagerness, his stance wide and strong. His eyes are sharp, scanning the surrounding trees.“Fanger!” Glynn sees the figure before I do. His voice is tight, and he locks eyes with the figure emerging from the shadows. This thing that has no more humanity left in it is barely visible against

Part Two“What the hell is going on?” I shut my door and stand in front of it. I search my room for a minute, thinking this might be about the rogue vampires or even a jealous Glynn.“Never mind, I shouldn’t be here. I shouldn’t be putting you in danger as well.” He is manic and crying now. I’m trying to stay calm and get him to give me something to cling to. He just hasn’t given me much to understand.“We’ve been friends forever, Booker, just spit it out.” I lock the door and sit on my bed, staring at the crazed man before me. “Plus, where would I even hide you?”“Anywhere. I don’t know what to do or even what to say. I came to my only friend, but all of this is so complicated. They think... I raped Marta.” His words are sharp stings across my skin.I feel like I’m sinking into my bed. My mouth is dry now. I can’t look at him. Avoiding looking at anything, my mouth hangs open.“Marta?” Hearing him say it makes it even less real. I tremble at the thought of betraying my sister. “You ca

Vampires are not comparable to wolves. That is like comparing the dark to the natural heartbeat of Mother Moon.One might assume that beings who dwell in the shadows and thrive beneath the same swollen moon would feel some ancient kinship. There would be some kind of dark blood connection. Wolves are the epitome of life, and vampires are death. They are just death incarnated into a body that shouldn't be.I've never felt anything like it. We don't move the same or even hunger the same. We need passion and the souless suckers need energy. And I’m not convinced we were made by the same moon goddess—if we were made by her at all."Stop calling me." I keep my shaking voice as steady as possible. It was day two of him being captured, and I heard his voice like a whisper. He was relentless these last few minutes.My mind is still being flooded by the vampire held captive in his hazy torture chamber. He slips in like smoke under a door. His torture is never silent. In daylight, they let bead