The Wolf Consort

A she-wolf on her last chance. A warlock betrayed. And a hidden society that may be their only hope…

Luana

I didn’t expect to be kidnapped by Keeran’s father—or tortured for his pleasure. When the she-wolf that stole my pack unites with my mate’s sworn enemy, everything seems dire. I’m not getting out of this one alive … not unless someone saves me that I don’t expect to. Someone with ties to Keeran’s past.

Keeran

Defeating my father was the easy part. Now I have to rule over a coven of warlocks who don’t play by the rules, warlocks who constantly challenge my title. But my world falls apart when I discover that Luana, the woman I care for the most, has been captured. I’ll do whatever it takes to rescue her, but help comes from the most unexpected of places … and I might not be able to handle the outcome.

An action-packed sequel that’s sultry and sinful, The Wolf Consort is a paranormal romance that explores the complex maneuvers of law and war in the supernatural world. This forbidden love story between a shifter and a warlock will leave you gasping for the next!

Chapter One

The last thing I remembered was leaving Dark Witch Manor with Wyatt. The next thing I knew, I was being half-dragged down a long, cold corridor.

I closed my eyes, fighting against the fuzziness clouding my mind. What was going on?

Two men tugged my arms and threw me inside a room. I tripped on my feet and fell on my knees, my legs jarring from the impact with the rough, cold stone.

I blinked and focused just long enough to see the two men retreat and close the thick, wooden door—a door with a small cutout on the top and metal bars.

Panic filled me as my mind cleared, and I finally remembered what had happened. As Wyatt and I were skirting the mountain and avoiding Dark Witch Manor and Bonecrown territory, someone attacked us.

We had blacked out.

And now, we were in some kind of damp, cold medieval dungeon with gray stone walls and almost no light.

I scooted to the door. “Wyatt?” I called, worried about him. I hadn’t seen him since before blacking out. What if they had killed him? What if they had left him behind? “Wyatt, can you hear me?” I didn’t shout; Wyatt would be able to hear me whisper, depending on his state. This way, I could avoid our captors’ wrath. “Wyatt?”

A low growl came from the other side of the door.

I took a lungful of air and let it out slowly, trying to shoo the grogginess away. My sight cleared a bit and when I pulled up, holding on to the door, I didn’t feel like I was going to puke.

I spied out through the small hole on the door. Cables ran through the low ceiling and a few naked lamps hung from them, illuminating little of the wide corridor of gray stones lined with doors like the one I was hanging from. Without a doubt, I knew Wyatt was behind the door across the corridor. But what state was he in?

“Luana?” he asked, his voice low.

“Yes! How are you feeling?”

“I’m fine,” he mumbled. “A little dizzy and sleepy, but not hurt. At least, I don’t think I am.”

“Do you know where we are?” I asked, hoping he had stayed awake long enough to see the faces of our captors. “Who attacked us and brought us here?”

“No,” he whispered. “I passed out half a second after you did, I think. I only woke up when I was thrown in here a couple of minutes ago.” He grumbled again, probably still too affected by the attack.

What had they done to us? And moon be cursed, who were they?

I shook my head.

This couldn’t be happening. No, this was a nightmare.

Wyatt and I had been with Keeran and Farrah at Dark Witch Manor. We had helped Keeran defeat Soren, his evil warlock father. The warlock had fled. We had been there when Zell, one of the rebel warlocks, asked Keeran to assume the role of warlock lord and lead the warlocks. Keeran had accepted the title.

And, it hadn’t even been forty-eight hours since I had found out Keeran was my mate—after an amazing kiss that almost led to more. Fortunately, Keeran hadn’t noticed the mating bond snapping into place, and when I pulled back, he thought I was still mad at him for lying and rejecting me.

If only it were that simple.

And now I was locked in a dungeon, only the moon knew where.

It did sound like a nightmare.

The sound of footsteps reached my ears and I straightened, trying to get a better look through the small opening, but it was only when the man was right in front of the door that I could see him well.

I sucked in a sharp breath. “Soren.”

“Hello, Luana.” He smiled at me, his lips stretching and showing off his ridiculously white teeth. He looked like a creep. “I’m so glad to see you again.”

Fury filled my veins, sending the rest of my stupor and dizziness away. “Moon be damned, what’s going on?”

“What do you mean?” He looked around, as if searching for something. “What’s wrong with your accommodations? Don’t you like my new place?”

That caught my attention. After all, I wanted to find out where exactly we were. “New place?”

“Where are my manners? Luana, welcome to the Chateau of the Cursed.”

I frowned. “Another named place?”

“Oh, I have dozens,” he said, as if he had said he had dozens of shirts or shoes. “All around the world. Just in case.”

In case of what? He was defeated and had to flee? Convenient. I pushed against the door. “What do you want with me?”

He tilted his head. “I thought you would have figured that part out by now.” What was he talking about? “You’re the most important person to Keeran. When word gets to him that I have you, he’ll come for you, and I’ll kill him.”

My stomach dropped.

No, Keeran wouldn’t be that stupid. But maybe he would. If it were him locked in here and Isalia was trying to lure me in, I wouldn’t think twice. I would face Isalia to get to Keeran. No questions asked.

I suspected he would do the same for me.

“No,” I whispered.

In the other cell, Wyatt groaned.

“Oh, and that pup of yours,” Soren said, glancing at the wooden door at his back. “He has no value to me. I'll be disposing of him.”

I slapped my hands on the door. “You—!”

“Ah, ah.” A thin, cold grin appeared on his lips. "Watch what you say. You’re in my house and I can be a bad host if you press me. Just try me and you’ll see.”

“You piece of shit!” I yelled, not caring about his threats. To lure Keeran here, Soren would have to keep me alive. But that didn’t mean he had to keep Wyatt alive. With one contemptuous last glance, Soren spun around and marched away. “Come back here!” I called, though I knew it was fruitless.

The adrenaline of facing Soren faded away, leaving my muscles sore and my entire body tired. My skull screamed where they had struck me. My back against the heavy door, I slid down to the cold floor.

What now? I couldn’t stay here and wait until Keeran came to rescue Wyatt and me. But what could I do locked in this cell?

By the moon, Keeran would come and face his father to save me.

Was Keeran ready for that?

I wished we didn’t have to find out so soon.

The light from the lamps outside flickered, bathing my cell in darkness. When the lights came back on, I noticed something in the corner of my cell.

My bag. They had thrown my duffel bag in here too. I crawled to it, wishing I had packed a big ass weapon, so I could break out of here. But there was nothing useful inside. Otherwise, I doubted they would let me have it.

There were only clothes and the crystal rose.

Hands shaking, I took the crystal rose and stared at its beauty. In the dim light of the cell, the rose shone as if there was a light coming from inside. I cradled it against my chest, and my brain turned to Keeran again.

I don't think he realized what this flower would mean to me when he gave it to me. To him, it was probably something he picked up and made prettier. To me, it meant he had thought of me. That he cared enough about me to make this beautiful thing for me.

And how did I repay him for it? By getting captured.

If only there was a way I could get out of here.

In my hands, the rose’s red glow intensified. I held it out and stared at it as the rose color shone brighter and brighter. What was going on?

A faint red smoke snaked out of the rose and floated in the air, traveling across the cell. It wrapped around the lock. A loud clicking sound rang. The red smoke faded, and the rose lost its glow.

I held my breath.

Could it be?

Slowly, I made my way to the door. With a trembling hand, I reached for the lock and pulled. The door swung open.

What the …

I didn’t allow myself to stop and think. I jumped up and raced across the corridor. “Wyatt,” I called. “Get ready. We’re leaving.”

“W-what?” he mumbled.

“We’ll have to fight our way out.” 

I wrapped my fingers around the rose and willed it to work whatever magic it possessed. It had unlocked my cell door; it had to do it again for Wyatt’s door. But as much as I stared at it, the rose didn’t shine.

“Luana?” Wyatt asked.

“Give me a second.” Tears sprang to my eyes. No, no, it had to work again. “Come on,” I hissed.

But nothing happened.

I was so lost in my attempt to create magic, I didn’t even hear the footsteps or catch a whiff of their scents until they were in the hallway.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Bates shouted. He was one of Soren’s favorite warlocks.

I started to shift.

“Not this time,” Tack said. He threw a black bolt at me. 

It hit me squared in the chest, knocking me down and taking my breath way. Pain coursed through my back, and it only got worse as I was dragged inside the cell again.

Bates picked up the rose from the floor. “What is this?”

No! I must have dropped it when I was hit. I snarled. “Give that back to me!”

“I don’t think so.” Bates pocketed the rose.

Tack closed the door of my cell with a finite click. 

“No!” I fought against the pain, the dizziness, the surprise, and raced to the door.

“Make sure you cast some spells on the lock,” Tack said. “She can’t escape again.”

I saw the shine of the black magic hitting the lock as the warlock reinforced my door.

Nevertheless, I pushed against it again.

Their chuckles rang clear through the corridor as they walked away.

A tear rolled down my cheek.

By the moon, I had almost escaped. Somehow, I had managed to make it outside my cell.

And now I was locked in again.

I doubted I would have another opportunity like that again.