Wolf King (Wolves of New York #1) Read online

  “He won’t gobble me up,” I say. “I think he realizes that we have…unfinished business. That we’ll be something to each other, though I’m not sure what.”

  Diana gasps and scrambles backward so fast she falls off the footstool only to pop back up onto it a beat later and jab a finger at my face. “Willow, your eyes! They’re glowing.” Her face breaks into a wide smile. “It’s your pack gift!”

  I laugh. “What?”

  “Your pack gift. You’re a Pathfinder!” She claps her hands excitedly, then points to the mirror above the desk. I shift over, sucking in a swift breath as I see my eyes glowing gold around the centers of my pupils.

  The light fades after a moment, but the knot in my stomach remains.

  “Oh my God, this is amazing,” Diana continues. “And super rare and fabulous.” She proceeds to tell me what a Pathfinder is, what my powers will be, and what they could become with proper training and control. “But at first it can be kind of a tricky gift,” she says. “Your eyes are going to glow every time you speak a deep personal truth or predict something bound to happen in the most likely version of the future. So like…” She winces sympathetically. “Everyone is going to know your business.”

  “Right.” I nod, eyes narrowing as Maxim’s sudden ability to “know” if I was telling the truth takes on a different dimension. “Your brother obviously knows about this, too, right? About Pathfinders?”

  “Totally,” she says. “He’s been wanting one for a while. Like I said, they’re super rare. Only one or two are born every fifty years or so, and they tend to die in weird accidents.”

  She pauses, lips puckering as she seems to think something through. “Because they can see predictable danger coming, maybe, and can avoid it? So only random sudden disaster can take them out?” She bobs her shoulders. “Our last one died in a car accident before I was born, but Dad told me all about him. He seemed super cool, and he was instrumental in helping us escape the Parallel. He predicted that a bunch of your pack were waiting at the portals to kill us, so we paid a bunch of witches to open a new portal. The one in the river that you came through, in fact.”

  I pull in a breath, but she’s prattling on before I can get a word in.

  “Did you know that our pack is responsible for that portal?” she asks. “Dad says everyone in The Parallel acts like it was always there, but it wasn’t.” She bares her teeth. “And it’s not totally stable, by the way. We’ve had a couple of people pop up on our side without the person they jumped off the bridge in The Parallel with. Maybe they were lost to the river, which is super sad. But they could also be trapped in another dimension of space time. Like…floating there forever.” She shudders. “I would not want to be caught in another dimension. That’s like, the worst kind of immortality. I’d rather die and I’m not into dying.”

  I cock my head, widening my eyes pointedly.

  Diana gulps and says, “I talk a lot when I’m nervous.” Her elegant fingers tangle together in her lap. “Maxim is going to kill me, Willow. Seriously. I should just run away from home now and spare myself the trouble of running after he tries to make me break up with Jacob and I have to escape an armed guard to get out.” She sits up straighter, fire flickering her gaze. “Because I won’t break up with him. I love him. I don’t care if we can’t have kids. I want to spend the rest of my life with him.”

  I rise and cross to the footstool, sitting beside her. I reach out, taking her hand in mine and giving it what I hope is a courage-building squeeze. “Maxim loves you. There is no doubt in my mind about that. Is there in yours?”

  She hesitates a beat, but then slowly shakes her head.

  “And where there’s love, there’s a way forward,” I continue. “When you talk to him, just keep bringing him back to love. Try not to give into your fear that he’s going to damage your relationship with Jacob and try not to let him give into the fear that the only way to protect you is to cage you.”

  She hums doubtfully beneath her breath. “Okay, but…how do I do that? When Maxim is basically living in fear twenty-four seven?”

  I blink, brows lifting. “Really? You think so? From what I’ve seen, he’s pretty brave. He certainly projects fearlessness.”

  Diana smiles a sad smile. “Yeah, he does a good job overcoming it. A great job, really. I can admit that, even though I’m dreading seeing his face right now.” She sighs. “But his aura is pure fear most days. He carries the weight of the world on his shoulders. I know that’s cliché, but for Maxim it’s true. He considers every wolf in this pack his responsibility. Whenever anyone is hurt or suffering and upset, even if it’s something kind of silly like the teachers threatening to strike if they don’t get more classroom space for the elementary school kids, he takes it right to his heart and lets it fester there.”

  I nod slowly. “Okay. Tell him that. And tell him that festering isn’t doing anyone any good. To be a truly great Alpha, he has to understand the difference between leading and inspiring his people and coddling and controlling them. No matter how hard he tries, he won’t be able to save everyone or please everyone. He has to come to terms with that and let some of that fear go.”

  Diana stares at me, completely deadpan, for so long that I reach up to wipe the corners of my mouth. “What? Do I have crumbs?”

  “No, you have crazy,” she says. “You seriously think I should say that to my brother? Tonight, no less, when a terrorist group got through our defenses and we have several pack members in critical condition in the infirmary?” She huffs. “I’d literally be signing my own death warrant.”

  I stand, brushing my suddenly clammy palms on my pajama pants. “Fine, then I’ll tell him. And I’ll feel him out about Jacob. In a subtle way that he won’t be able to connect to you.”

  Her eyes go even wider, and she reaches out, snatching my wrist. “No, Willow. You can’t. Seriously. I may have sounded like I was teasing before, but I wasn’t. He won’t take that well, especially from a stranger. He might…really hurt you.”

  I arch a brow, wondering if my initial take on Maxim was closer to the right one.

  Maybe he is a bully and an abuser, just like every other Alpha I’ve ever known.

  I ask softly, “Have you seen him hurt people before, Diana? If so, please tell me the truth. I’d appreciate it.”

  Her eyes begin to shine. “No, but the night he thought Shane poisoned Dad… When he couldn’t find him…” Her hand drops from my wrist. “His aura was black as night, Willow. Blacker. If he’d been able to find Shane, I think he would have killed him.”

  I relax a little bit.

  Diana knows her brother far better than I do, but growing up in The Parallel, I’ve maybe learned a thing or two more about human, and wolf, nature.

  “But he didn’t,” I say gently. “In my experience, a lot of people can be pushed to wanting to kill, especially if they’re stuck in a place where murders happen all the time. But most people won’t act on those feelings. Even when they have just cause. In my pack, a very few people do ninety percent of the killing. Most of us just aren’t built for it. Truly, I believe the lion’s share of people are good, Diana. Or…at least not murderers.”

  “From what I’ve seen in people’s auras, I would agree, but…” She pulls in a breath and lets it out long and slow, guilt creeping into her tone as she adds, “But I’m not sure about Maxim. I mean, he’s my brother and I love him so much, but…I’m not sure. I think he could go either way—light or dark—and he hasn’t really decided which path is for him just yet.”

  “That sounds about right.” I shiver, a bone deep tremble that leaves every inch of my skin prickly, itchy, and I’m not surprised when Diana whispers, “Your eyes are glowing again so…I guess it is.”

  Right.

  I can tell the future now.

  Or…something like that. Sounds like Pathfinders start out parsing truth from lies, and that’s a skill that could prove useful to this pack tonight.

  I nod toward my bedroom.
“I’m going to go change into some street clothes, and then you’re going to take me to Maxim.”

  “We’ll have to break out of here,” she says, but I can tell by her tone that she already knows this is a done deal. “He’ll know we broke the rules and be pissed off before we even start talking. Or before you start talking, since I intend to keep my mouth shut until I can talk to Jacob about all this and see what he thinks I should do. No offense. I value your opinion, too, but Jacob knows me better. And he knows Maxim better. Or at least Maxim’s bad reputation.”

  “No offense taken, and hopefully he won’t be pissed for long. I’ll make it clear that I know about my pack gift, and I’m there to help.” My lips twist up on one side. “Considering he saw my eyes glowing and decided not to say a word about it, maybe he’ll feel too guilty for keeping secrets to be pissed for long.”

  “And maybe we’ll run into a unicorn sitting on the toilet in your bathroom,” Diana deadpans.

  I smile, forcing an upbeat note into my voice. “Maybe. Let’s go check.”

  She groans but fifteen minutes later I’m dressed in black jeans, a dark blue silk blouse, and soft soled knee-high boots that don’t make a sound on the tile floor as we sneak through the secret passage in the bathroom.

  For better or worse, I’ve won Diana over.

  Now, I just hope I can do the same with her brother.

  Chapter 18

  Maxim

  By the time he’s finished spilling his guts, my father seems to have shrunk in his wheelchair.

  Looking at him, it’s hard to believe this is the man who used to throw me over his shoulder when I was a kid and run up a flight of stairs, two at a time. The man who beat everyone at arm wrestling at our annual summer picnic. The man who destroyed every challenger for pack leader who dared meet him in the ring, without seeming to break a sweat.

  My dad’s the one who taught me that Alphas can bend, but they never break.

  But…maybe the tough guy act was all a front.

  Maybe my father has been weak all along, at least in the head.

  He has to be if he’s bought into this Doomsday shit.

  “I understand it’s a lot to take in, son,” he says. “But this is the real deal. The prophecy was confirmed by our last Pathfinder before he died.”

  I clench my jaw and pace back across the length of the quiet meeting room, not enjoying the reminder of Willow.

  Of what I discovered about her tonight.

  Of how easily she might learn to manipulate people, too, if given enough time to hone her skills.

  “Dad, you know Pathfinders can lie,” I say. “Just like anyone else.”

  “Not Rake. He didn’t lie, and he had no reason to. When this came to our attention, you and your brother were small children, and we had no idea who the women in the prophecy were. Or that they’d be born into the Blood River pack.”

  “And how did you find out?” I ask, hating to humor him, even for a second. But the more I know about this stupid story, the easier it will be to debunk. “Do the Astor girls have a birthmark or something? A lightning bolt on their foreheads?”

  Dad’s eyes narrow and for a moment I see the shadow of the powerful man from my youth firm up his features. “They are the only pair of sisters born on the exact days and years foretold in the prophecy. But we didn’t know that until after Kelley and Bane disappeared and my investigative team started digging deeper into her past trying to find them. Her birth was recorded on the wrong day. The certificate said she was born on March 14th, and that’s the date she celebrated. But the midwife who delivered her said Kelley’s mother went into labor late the evening on the 14th and delivered just after midnight. The actual date was the 15th for Kelley and the 5th for Willow, just like the prophecy.”

  I shake my head. “Or the midwife lied to give you what you wanted.”

  “She didn’t know what I wanted. The prophecy isn’t common knowledge.”

  “It’s not knowledge at all. It’s mumbo jumbo.”

  He scowls. “If you’re not going to listen with an open mind, then—”

  “Fine,” I cut in, fighting to exercise patience. “So, you figured this out eight years ago. Why not go after Willow then? If she’s the key to bringing peace to our world and foretold to make a king of one of the Alphas, why not bring her into our pack? We knew from Kelley that their family was on the outs with Blood River anyway. It would have been easy to convince them to defect.” I arch a brow. “Didn’t you want me to be King of the Shifters, Pops? Or maybe deep down you knew this is all a bunch of horse shit?”

  He smiles, but he’s clearly not amused. “Fuck you, too, son.” My father flips me the double bird and calls in a louder voice, “Cameron, I’m ready to go back to my apartment.”

  I reach out, turning the lock before Cameron can try the door.

  When he does, and it won’t open, he calls out uncertainly, “Alpha, do you…need me to get help?”

  “No, thank you,” I growl.

  “I wasn’t talking to you…sir,” Cameron says, but he says “sir” like the disrespectful dick he is.

  “I’m fine, Cam,” Dad calls out. “But stay close. I’m going to need an extra pain med or five after hacking a hole through my son’s thick skull.”

  “Understood,” the man outside says with a judgmental sniff.

  Cam is my father’s man and always will be, a fact I’m usually grateful for…even if the smug fucker gets on my last nerve.

  My father should have loyal friends.

  But not friends on the Cult Crazy Train.

  “Does Cam know about this?” I ask softly. “The prophecy and everything?”

  “No,” my father says. “The people who know, we’ve kept it quiet. And as far as why we didn’t go after Willow, the prophecy says the King Maker will find her way to her King and anyone who interferes will end in blood.” He arches a pointed brow. “Sounds like that’s what happened to Victor’s kid, doesn’t it?”

  “She didn’t end him,” I counter.

  “But she bloodied him and escaped. And how often does a woman from that pack defy an Alpha? They’re raised to be terrified and submissive, to believe their fate lies in the hands of their fathers, brothers, and future mates. But not Willow. She rose above all that and found her way here to you.”

  “She’s already mated to another man,” I remind him.

  “If the charts were forged, the mate bond isn’t valid. Might as well have never happened, no matter how many binding chants they said.”

  I press my lips together, hating to admit he has a point, but obviously I’ve been thinking how odd it was for both Astor girls to be mated to Darius men, too. “So, Victor…what? Paid off the astrologers to fake a fated mate bond between his family and theirs?”

  Dad snorts. “I have no doubt he would pervert a sacred ceremony for his own gain. Especially to secure total control of our kind. Do you?”

  “No.” I chew the corner of my lip before I add, “I’m only surprised he didn’t try to marry one of them himself.”

  “I’m sure he floated that idea,” Dad says, his disgust for Victor clear in his voice. “But the prophecy specifies a young Alpha will rise and, whatever else Victor is, he ain’t young.”

  “Neither am I,” I say, earning another snort from Dad.

  “You’re thirty-two. A baby. Barely out of diapers.”

  “Pax is twenty-four. Most of the next generation of leaders in the Parallel and living Human Side are in their early twenties.” I frown, another thought rising through the tangle of questions in my head. “And if Kelley’s still alive and presumably married to Bane all this time, why hasn’t he risen to rule the shifter world?”

  Pain flickers behind Dad’s eyes. “Well, one answer is that your brother is dead,” he says. “But I don’t think that’s the case. I bet I can tell you what Kelley stole from the artifacts room before the team gets back with their report.”

  I cock my head, intrigued despite still being ninety perc
ent certain Dad’s been brainwashed. “Yeah? And what’s that?”

  “The Alpha bands and the spirit-sharing cup,” he says. “I think she and Bane are getting married and want it to be an old-fashioned North Star wedding with all the ceremonial trappings.”

  His words send a shaft of pain through my chest.

  I should be happy my brother is probably alive, but this wound is too fresh for that. “Why? Why steal those things? Why not come home, be a part of our family, and have the wedding here?”

  “That’s part of the prophecy, son,” he says, his gaze so haunted I can’t bring myself to call him crazy again. “Both the Astor girls will help a king rise. But one king will bring light, the other darkness. And no one knows which one will win out in the end.”

  I blink, my brain so unaccustomed to things like this it takes a few minutes to follow the “logic” of his words. “So, you think Bane has…what? Become a bad man? An evil king in waiting?”

  “What do you think?” he challenges. “Judging from the pieces we’ve put together so far, it seems Kelley conspired with several other shifters—including at least one cat—to set off a bomb in a crowded theater as a distraction so she could steal North Star wedding artifacts. Artifacts she wouldn’t need to marry anyone but a North Star Alpha. And this same group of people tried to kidnap Willow tonight. Potentially to reunite the sisters, sure, but just as likely to eliminate the competition. If Willow never marries her true mate, only one king will rise, and no one will stand in his way.”

  I shake my head. “Bane would never attack our people. I can’t believe that. And what about the Venom in the bomb? That’s a Blood River calling card.”

  “Or an attempt to throw us off the scent of who really did this,” Dad counters, nodding toward the bull pen in the center of the enforcer office beyond the door, where the rest of the team is gathered. “We need that tiger awake and talking.” He lowers his voice to a confidential whisper, “I’m going to reach out to a fairy friend of mine from way back, see if she can get a few truth charms over here for us ASAP.”