Page 1 of Vengeance and Fire

PROLOGUE

FALYN

EARTH

The night is buzzing with the sounds of the crowds as the late-night partygoers make their way down the streets. Most of them seeking another drink, moving from bar to bar, drinking themselves into a stupor. I wonder if they actually want to remember their vacation at all.

A group of women in scantily clad attire cling to each other singing random lyrics to whatever song is bumping out of the club door they’re passing. They dance drunkenly through the streets, short skirts riding up their thighs, too much make up, in heels that threaten a trip to the emergency room with just one stumble on a cobbled stone. They hurry past, not even paying my seven feet frame any attention as they make their way towards another den of debauchery and vanish inside.

There are couples who find themselves in dark corners between buildings or sharing sloppy kisses in the middle of the street. The sounds of sex from somewhere nearby only adds to the soundtrack of nightly exploits at the Whitecliff Mountain Resort. By day, Humans bring their families here to the mountains to ski and seek outdoor adventures, and at night the singles dance and party until sunrise. They have no idea that their exclusive vacation destination is owned and operated by a Pack of Dire Wolves. The Whitecliff Mountain Resort is our home, and profitably for us, we’ve shared our Pack Lands to the delight of Humans for many years now.

This place was my great-grandfather’s idea. After the loss of our Realm, Bestia, hundreds of years ago, most of the Shifters, the ones who survived the destruction, lived like nomads on Earth. Each species of Shifters moved from place to place, until eventually they found their own little corner of the world to settle into. In order to survive and blend in, he and his Betas decided to use the landscape around us, using it to both protect our Pack and set us up financially for years to come.

“Alpha.”My eyes catch sight of my second in command, who is blending into the background like I am. Ever watchful on nights like these, none of my Betas like the job of babysitting the Humans that come here, but this is our Pack’s livelihood. This is how we take care of our own, and this is how we survive here on Earth.

Standing on the street, my shoulder is propped up against a lamp post, I don’t make a move towards him as he stands opposite me on the other side.“Riese,”I reach out to him through our Pack bond, while surveying the area around us for dangers. Letting my Wolf scent the air, I push my senses out beyond where we are standing and get nothing. Other than the noise of the revelers out on the street, all is quiet. I offer him a nod of acknowledgment and watch as he walks off into the night continuing his rounds.

“You’re not on the schedule tonight. Did Becks flake out on you to spend time with his mate?”I can hear his chuckle following him down the street, and it brings a smile to my face. Reise and I are like brothers, we were raised together; his father was my father’s second as well.

“No more than you and Cee Cee,” I respond. I ignore the pain in my chest for my own lack of mate. It still stings that no one has presented as a match for me in my own Pack. I don’t understand it, and the Pack elders don’t have an answer for me. I refuse to go down that road though, and I focus on why I am out here instead of closer to the Pack Land.

“The reports we received from the Bears, Eagles, and Lions have me on high alert. The Fae may not have shown up here yet, but it’s only a matter of time.” My eyes catch one of my Betas in Wolf form, he moves so fast none of the Humans out on the street would have noticed.

“Do you think they are trying to recruit us?”Riese asks as I keep my eyes trained on the end of the road. Another one of my Betas is rushing by in Wolf form, and I immediately start walking in the direction that leads to the outskirts of the resort village.

“It’s possible. The reports from the other Shifters say they are offering us refuge inIncantatia. I don’t—”

“I don’t trust the Fae. We need more intel. The Dragons should be back around in about a month. Maybe Gale, Torin, and Adrian can fill us in,”he says, cutting me off. I don’t call him out on it, we are friends first, and he’s right. I don’t trust the Fae. Why are they seeking us out now? After all this time? I’m not buying it. It almost feels desperate. It makes me wonder what the hell is going on in the other Realms to cause the intrusion.

“Jax, Finn. What’s going on? You guys chasing a bunny again?”I reach out to my Betas, trying to keep the conversation light just in case I’ve mistaken their running for something harmless. The last thing I want is to panic them. I wait, picking up the pace, my steps echoing off the cobble stone streets, the night eerily quiet suddenly. When they don’t respond, I start to run. My wolves always respond.

“Reise! Heads up, somethings going on. I just saw Finn and Jax running towards the portal. I reached out and they haven’t answered.”I cut between some of the guest houses to get to the end of the road, the forest right in front of me. “ALL BETAS TO ME NOW!”I shout, my anxiety amplified by the lack of communication between us.

“ALPHA! We have a breech! We—”Jax’s connection goes quiet. Before I know it my Wolf rips itself free from my body as I shift mid run. Someone has entered Pack Lands unannounced, and by the sound of his panic, I don’t have to guess to know who it is.

“I’m right behind you, Falyn.”I hear Reise’s Wolf as he catches up with me as we bound into the trees. The sound of growls has me slow my pace to take in the scene before me. Four Fae sentries flank a Mage with a deep scar that runs down the side of this face. He smiles manically at Jax, who lays near his feet, now in Human form, breathing heavily but alive. Finn stands over his body protectively as the Fae sentries point their spears at him. My Wolf sniffs the air tinged with blood, and I go berserk. Leaping into the clearing, I face the five of them with Reise at my side, teeth bared, and jaws snapping. I need to rip them apart for harming what’s mine. I can feel my other Betas circling, waiting for me to give the word. The Fae are outnumbered, and I couldn’t care less about formalities.

“Alpha Falyn. My sincere apologies, your Beta was a bit skittish and tried to attack me.” The Mage’s hands go up in surrender, he attempts to smile, but with his mangled face he looks like a monster. He smells wrong.

“He is lying, Alpha, Jax didn’t attack him,”Finn says as his Wolf lays down on top of Jax. I fight back control from my Wolf and shift. He is having none of this disrespect, but if don’t end this now, there will be bloodshed. I rush forward to face them, naked, and vulnerable, but I put myself between Finn and Jax to stand directly in front of the Mage.

“Leave,” I hiss between my teeth. I easily tower over the Fae sentries and the Mage, but my words only spur the Mage on.

“Alpha, we have so much to discuss. Queen Maurelle—”

“Leave now. You are here unannounced. I don’t care what your queen has to offer. You have injured one of my wolves. If you don’t leave now, I won’t be responsible for my Wolf ripping all of you apart.” I step forward and the Mage steps back into the Fae who are still holding their spears in my direction.

“You can either hear my offer now or when I return with more soldiers.” He shrugs, and I can’t stop the growl that rises up and out of my throat. “The new queen of Arcadia has arisen. Full of false promises and hope for all. You don’t want to fall on the wrong side of the coming war. Join my queen’s army, and your people will be rewarded.” He flicks his fingers, studying them, appearing unfazed, but I can smell his fear.

“I don’t care about your war; I don’t care about your queen. If you return here, there will be hell to pay.” I walk another step forward as the Mage raises his hands and gestures for the sentries to turn and leave. I guess he feels he has said enough to me for now, or he believes I will follow through on my threat.

“You may not care now, but you will Alpha Falyn.You will. I’ll be seeing you soon.” The Mage backs into the portal, smiling his crooked smile until he vanishes from sight.

My wolves rush out of the trees as the night goes quiet again. Some of them shift to help carry Jax back to the Pack house. The others circle the portal, scenting the air and the surrounding area just in case the Fae left any surprises behind.

“What the fuck was that?” Riese shifts and paces in front of me, gesturing toward the portal in shock.

“A test. They will return,” I say to him. My thoughts instantly going to all the Humans who visit our resort and what this could mean for them. What does this mean for our Pack? For all Shifters who don’t fall in line with whatever the Fae queen’s agenda is.

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