Conquest Read online

  “She said it, Quinn, and I really don’t know how to take it.”

  “It’s worse than I thought.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “She hasn’t been the same since she returned from the City of Ghosts.”

  “I noticed that myself. That’s when this contempt started, along with the insults and the lack of gratitude. At first, I thought it was just because she was tired. And when we’re in public, she acts the same as she used to. Kayla was always so full of compassion and the kind of humble intensity that makes you want to follow her. But now, it’s like I don’t know her.”

  “I understand exactly what you mean.”

  “Do you think the power has gone to her head or she’s just exhausted from the responsibility of being the pack leader? She has been through a lot.”

  Quinn finished slicing another bite of venison and put it in his mouth, chewing the meat and the question. He mulled it over and took a long drink of wine. “It could be that. Or it could be something more serious. I don’t want you to leave, Willa. We need your help. There is a great deal more challenge to come. You and I both know that. And we need as many strong allies as we can get.”

  “I fight for the side of good. I always have.”

  “I know you do.”

  “Tell me what it is you fear, Quinn.”

  “I fear that something happened to Kayla in the City of Ghosts, that something changed in her when she was scratched by that ghost.”

  Willa put her hand to her mouth, her eyes going wide. “What is it? What’s happened to her?”

  “I’m not sure. But I’ve read about some strange effects that ghost scratches might have. Mostly infections. Some have even lost limbs because of them. Kayla had a bad wound when she returned to Mist Valley. I can’t think of anything else that might have caused this change.”

  “It could just be a coincidence.”

  He didn’t mention his greatest fear, which was that the girl he had fallen in love with—the girl that he had put so much trust and hope in—had never existed, and the new, imperious, insulting, and power-hungry woman had always been the real Kayla. He shook his head and stared down at his meal before looking back at Willa.

  “Let’s keep this to ourselves for now.”

  “Can I share it with Mackenzie?”

  Quinn let out a long sigh then nodded. “You can share it with her, but only because I want your help to determine if this is some kind of soul sickness or possession. I know Mackenzie has great skill with the dead. Maybe there is something that you can sense or a spell that you can perform to reveal what is going on with her.”

  Willa tapped her lower lip in thought. “I’ll talk to Mackenzie about it. Neither of us have ever heard of anything like this. But there are spells to exorcise ghosts and demons from inside a person.”

  “What if it’s not a ghost or demon but instead a blackening of the heart?”

  “I don’t know, Quinn. I honestly don’t.”

  “I fear for the child.”

  Willa looked at him with so much compassion in her eyes it hurt him. She reached out and patted his hand.

  “I don’t know why my brothers don’t see it.”

  “They don’t have as much experience with the soul or with illusion as we do,” Willa said.

  He nodded, looking out the darkened window at the snow whirling beyond.

  “Thank you for sharing this with me, Quinn. Now, at least I feel like I have some answers.”

  “Let me know if you think of anything.”

  She headed to the door and paused as she gripped the handle, turning back to him. “Has your goddess said anything?”

  “Wolf Mother is as cryptic as ever. She tells me every time that it will all work out for the best. But from the perspective of a goddess, that could mean anything. Perhaps the cataclysm was all for the best. From a mortal perspective, it’s hard to see it that way.”

  She shook her head. “Nor should we. We’ll solve this, Quinn. Stay strong.”

  “You too, my friend.”

  Willa disappeared into a flurry of snow and darkness. Quinn stared at his meal, but he no longer had a stomach for it. The cold had blown into his cabin, and he shivered, pulling his fur more tightly around his shoulders. He hoped against hope that he and the witches could find Kayla, but he was losing hope more every day.

  His heart ached when he thought about the old Kayla. Sometimes, he missed her so much that he could barely breathe. The last time they had been together, the last time they’d made love, with his brothers all together in the same bed, he’d sworn he would not touch her again until she came back to him. He would not make love to a façade. And he would not stop fighting until he found a way to bring her back to him.

  The dark thoughts that the Kayla he’d fallen in love with had been a false self played in his mind. He slammed his cold fist into the table. The biting chill and the impact on the wood throbbed up his arm. He gritted his teeth, the pain of it all nearly unbearable. He wouldn’t give up hope.

  He knew the truth in his heart. Some things could not be faked. The connection they’d shared upon mating and the initiation by Wolf Mother had been real. Since her change, Kayla had tried to reach out to him to show him the same bond and love they’d once shared. He’d played along as much as he could. He’d pretended that it was the same, but it wasn’t. It just wasn’t. He didn’t know why he’d pretended—maybe it was to stay safe since the woman she had become had dangerous energy glinting in her eyes. He didn’t know what she was capable of, but he had a very bad feeling about it. Until he had a solution, he would stay away. There was no other choice.

  Chapter Fifteen

  The heat of the summer pricked Kayla’s skin. She felt as big as a house, and the loss of strength and speed in her limbs was nearly unbearable. She sat on her porch at midday, fanning herself as she watched the hunters return with a fresh kill. She had agreed not to go hunting since announcing the baby, and the loss of the excitement in her life was starting to gnaw at her.

  She often considered that she’d made the wrong decision in keeping the baby. Aside from the obvious negative impact on her energy, it did have the positive effect of making her mates and pack more willing to serve her. Jagger and Riddick had become her slaves, and the villagers had stopped treating her like an innocent young girl and had begun to address her with far more respect. It had taken a great deal of work on her part to bring them to heel, but it had paid off.

  The baby inside her kicked at her belly, and she poked at it. She couldn’t wait until the thing was out of her. She wasn’t sure what she would do about it then, but at least the pregnancy had been beneficial in gaining more power. She assumed the child would prove to be a handy tool as well.

  “We brought you a delicacy from our latest kill, Queen Redclaw.” One of the hunters handed her the liver of a stag. It had been cooked to rare perfection, salted and spiced exactly how she liked it, and cut into small bites. He handed her the plate and a sharp trident fork. She smiled and thanked him, piercing a morsel with the tines. She slid it into her mouth and groaned. “Delicious.”

  He nodded to her slightly then turned to go, happy to have her approval. She spotted Quinn, her problem mate, down the lane. She knew he believed there was something wrong with her. She could sense he was working with the witches behind her back. He wanted nothing more than to change her back to that coward of a girl she used to be, so passive, so trusting. It made Kayla sick just to think about it, and she would rather die than go back to that. But Quinn loved that girl, and he could tell that Kayla was no longer her.

  The others had been easy to convince and control, but none of them had the kind of emotional sensitivity Quinn had. That made him dangerous. She was going to have to get rid of him, but he was the only healer and shaman in the pack. She needed him around at least until after the baby was born. Giving birth without a healer was not a good idea. So she left him alive for the time being. As soon as she was done with him, she wou
ld find a healer to replace him and get rid of the witches to boot.

  Willa approached her. The young witch had betrayed her own people to help Kayla’s pack. How pathetic. Kayla had convinced her to train ravens to send her messages to the clans and packs around the region, urging them to send riders farther and inviting more and more shifters into the fold.

  “There’s another message for you,” Willa said.

  “Thank you, Willa.”

  Kayla tried to control her revulsion for the witch. Witches had burned down Mist Valley Village. Witches were the reason shifters lived in fear of slavery. All witches and vampires had to die, and Kayla would make sure that happened. Under her strength and leadership, the shifters could reclaim their rightful place in the world.

  She took the message from Willa, unrolled it, and read it. The leader of the bear clan they had encountered in North Carolina said he’d had people taken by vampires since they’d last met. He’d agreed to join the cause.

  “Is it good news?” Willa asked.

  Kayla looked up, frowning that the witch was still standing there. She scrutinized Kayla in the most troubling way. Willa and Mackenzie had been behaving that way for months, always lurking about and staring at her. Kayla wondered if the witches knew something was amiss. She needed to dispose of them as much as she needed to get rid of Quinn. All in due time. As she was weak and heavy with child, there was little she could do. She rubbed her belly and plastered on a fake smile. Soon. Very soon. “Yes, very good news. The alpha of the bear clan we met in North Carolina has agreed to join forces with us. He’s sending riders out in every direction to ask more packs and clans to join the cause. Soon, we will have an army to avenge my people.” Kayla bit her tongue. She wanted to add, “Soon you will die,” but she’d already courted too much trouble recently.

  As if sensing the unspoken words, Willa bowed slightly and started away.

  “I need you to send another message for me.”

  “Oh?” Willa turned back to her. “To whom?”

  “To my father. It is time to ask Smoke Mountain to join the cause.”

  “After everything?”

  “At this point, he must know I am the most powerful shifter in the world. He, along with his goon, Irontooth, will understand it is time to join me.”

  “Would you like me to send the same message I sent to the others?”

  “No. I will handwrite a special message from daughter to father. It will have more resonance that way.”

  Kayla snapped her fingers at Felix. He sat down the porch from her, his nose in a book. He didn’t look up. She rolled her eyes. The boy was still not fully under her control. But unlike Quinn, he didn’t seem to notice her change, or maybe he didn’t care.

  “Felix.” She raised her voice. “Go get me a pen and paper.”

  He finally looked up at her, as if seeing her for the first time, and climbed to his feet, leaving his book on his chair. Kayla turned back to Willa, her teeth clenched in a fake smile. “Just one moment.” Kayla waved the witch onto the porch and into the shade. “Come, rest up here while I write. You must be burning up in the sun.”

  “Thank you.” Willa sat beside her.

  Felix returned with the pen and paper. She handed him her plate of liver. He looked down at it as if he had no idea what to do. She waved her hand at him. “Take it to the kitchen.”

  When Kayla looked back at Willa, she found the witch examining her again. Kayla narrowed her eyes but chose to ignore it. She focused on the letter instead, reading it aloud as she wrote: “Dear father. It is I, your daughter, Kayla Redclaw, Alpha of the Mist Valley pack and Queen of all shifters. I am inviting you to join my army against the witches and vampires. I have already brought one hundred packs and clans under my leadership. Soon, we will march on old Atlanta, now known as Dark Haven. We will burn the city to the ground.” She rolled up the letter and handed it to Willa. “That should get the message across.”

  “Surely, it will.”

  Willa stood to leave, but Kayla felt a niggling sense of trepidation about trusting the witches with anything. “Willa?”

  Willa turned back to her, her face expectant.

  “How do you feel about us marching on Dark Haven?”

  “It’s what they deserve,” Willa said impassively.

  “I see.”

  “Mackenzie and I serve the light, truth, and goodness in the world. That is why we helped you. That’s why we’re still here.” The witch turned on her heel and hurried away before Kayla could stop her again.

  Kayla gritted her teeth. The witch’s dedication was getting under her skin. They served the truth and light, but Kayla only served herself. She no longer cared about truth or goodness. What she cared about was revenge. What she cared about was the power the shifters had lost. Only she could restore that to the world, and she would trample anyone who got in her way.

  Jagger approached, wiping his brow. He smiled at her and squinted in the sun. “How are you feeling today?” He stepped up onto the porch and sat in the chair Willa had just vacated.

  “As big as a house.” She sighed, giving the impression of the long-suffering pregnant woman.

  “The baby will arrive soon.” Jagger reached out to rub her stomach. She placed her hand over his, giving him a sweet look that disguised the fact that she hated when he touched her. She hated the cloying condescension in his tone. “Quinn said it will happen any day now.”

  “Yes, any day now.”

  “Are you ready?”

  “We prepared the baby’s things in Quinn’s old room. I’m not sure how much more prepared I can be.”

  “Have you talked to other mothers about what to expect?”

  “I have. I don’t want to be blindsided. But there are so many people to help. I won’t be alone. You’ll be here to help me.”

  “Of course, we’ll be here to help you.” Riddick jogged up the porch steps then kissed her abruptly on the cheek, leaving a damp spot of sweat on her skin. She tried not to recoil in disgust. “I’ve been talking to every parent in the village, asking them questions. I know exactly what to expect. You can count on me, Kayla. I’m prepared.”

  “Indeed.” She took both of her mates’ hands.

  A rider charged into the village, sweaty and panting on a spent horse. He slid to the ground, his boots kicking up dust.

  “Where is the alpha? Where is Kayla Redclaw?” the rider demanded.

  Jagger went out to meet him, stopping him from charging up to where she sat fanning herself on the porch.

  “I bring news from Smoke Mountain,” he said.

  Kayla recognized him as one of her father’s council. She waved at him to approach. He came stumbling forward and collapsed on the porch steps, kneeling before her.

  “Alpha Redclaw, I have news from Smoke Mountain. Your father is dead.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  The news sank in slowly, like oil oozing through water. She blinked several times, staring at the messenger.

  “His wake is in just a few days. Your cousin asks for your presence and your support in his succession.”

  “Of course I’ll be there. I will leave immediately. Rest, recuperate, and water your horse. We will prepare for the journey.”

  “Thank you, Alpha Redclaw.” The messenger turned away as several of Kayla’s attendants led him toward the bathhouse.

  “Kayla, you can’t go. The baby is due any day now,” Jagger objected.

  She waved him off. “I’m going. Nothing will stop me from attending my father’s funeral and supporting my cousin. It’s my duty.”

  “But, Kayla, the baby.”

  “The baby will be fine.” She rubbed her stomach.

  She had to see it for herself. The man who had controlled her, the man she had feared, the man who’d dictated her future for so long was gone. She tried to disguise the utter glee she felt at the news. Everyone knew there was no love lost between her and her father, but appearing downright joyous at the news would not be socially ac
ceptable.

  How weak people were. Especially shifters. They were almost as bad as humans, with their sentimentality for family and packs and clans and all that loyalty. Her father had the right idea when he expected her to marry his most powerful ally. She had to respect the man since he was gone.

  The Smoke Mountain pack was going to transition to her cousin, Daniel. The boy, only eighteen, was not fit to be alpha. She had believed him a suitable leader in her old life, but it suddenly seemed laughable. But she would go, and she would support him. And then she would find a way to take the land and the resources for herself. She would rule by proxy, which would be just as effective as ruling herself, perhaps even more so.

  “What is this I hear about you going to Smoke Mountain?” Quinn asked as a cloud passed over the sun. His eyes were dark and hooded as he looked up at her from the bottom of the stairs.

  “I must attend my father’s funeral and support my cousin. There’s no telling what might happen if I’m not there to help him.”

  She could see emotions wash over Quinn’s face. He knew Daniel, and he knew the boy’s goodness and loyalty. He would be exactly the kind of person Quinn would support as the pack alpha, and he would want to help the lad attain what was rightfully his. Quinn was full of honor and loyalty like that—and she knew she could rely on that fact to get her way.

  “It’s not safe to travel,” Quinn said.

  “I will be fine. Besides, you will come with me. If I go into labor on the road, you will be there to assist me.”

  “The chance of infection or injury is greatly increased by you traveling at this time in your pregnancy.” Quinn stepped closer, his face full of helpless desperation. He truly cared about her and the health of the baby. So touching.

  “I know you will take care of me. And you have the strength of the goddess behind you. The baby and I will be fine.”

  “I will prepare for the journey,” Quinn said in a low voice, turning away.

  He trudged down the stairs and disappeared down the street. She looked at Jagger, who was still sitting beside her, and waved her fan in front of her face. The humid heat of the summer was unrelenting. Traveling at that time of year would not be pleasant. But she had something vital to do. She would suffer momentarily to ensure the succession of her cousin to the throne of the Smoke Mountain pack.