Betrayed E-Book

Rhianne Aile

• Herausgeber: Dreamspinner Press
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 443

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2010

Beschreibung

Will Northland's brother, Tristan, went to America to break a centuries-old curse and found love in the most unexpected of places: within the heart of a werewolf. When Will goes to visit, he meets not only Tristan's mate, Benjamin, but their friend Raul, who receives a plea for help from his old werepack: his twin brother, Richard, has gone missing and is possibly under the influence of a witch. Raul leaves to find his brother, and Will goes with him, offering to use his magic to both locate Richard and protect them all from the threat of dark magic. But when they find him, a totally unexpected passion explodes between Richard and Will, stunning them both. Suddenly, discovering who betrayed Raul and Richard isn't the only challenge. It's now a struggle to solve the mystery so Will can claim Richard's heart just as the wolf has claimed Will as his mate. Don't miss Cursed, the story of Will Northland's twin brother, Tristan, and his struggle to free Benjamin Sterling from a centuries-old curse.

Leseprobe

Table of Contents

Blurb

Dedication

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Keep Reading

About the Author

By Rhianne Aile

More from Rhianne Aile

Visit Dreamspinner Press

Copyright

Betrayed

by Rhianne Aile

Will Northland's brother, Tristan, went to America to break a centuries-old curse and found love in the most unexpected of places: within the heart of a werewolf. When Will goes to visit, he meets not only Tristan's mate, Benjamin, but their friend Raul, who receives a plea for help from his old werepack: his twin brother, Richard, has gone missing and is possibly under the influence of a witch.

Raul leaves to find his brother, and Will goes with him, offering to use his magic to both locate Richard and protect them all from the threat of dark magic. But when they find him, a totally unexpected passion explodes between Richard and Will, stunning them both. Suddenly, discovering who betrayed Raul and Richard isn't the only challenge. It's now a struggle to solve the mystery so Will can claim Richard's heart just as the wolf has claimed Will as his mate.

Dedication

To Cat

Prologue

THEwerewolf shifted on the pallet of pillows and furs, the deep, soft nap of the furs stroking his bare skin. The room was warm; the image of an earlier fire danced along the edge of his consciousness. When he concentrated on remembering, everything faded into a fuzzy blur. He relaxed, and snatches of sensation began to get clearer.

Someone was lying next to him, the heart rate and slow, even breathing indicating the depth of sleep. He shifted closer, the tantalizing scent of his mate immediately rousing him. He concentrated on the man next to him. Even without being able to see, he knew with certainty that it was a man. He could feel the heat radiating off his body and could smell a combination of male musk and sex from their earlier lovemaking.

The body beside him shifted as his mate curled into him in search of comfort and warmth. The werewolf’s arms closed around his lover, assuring him that he wasn’t alone in the dark. A sure hand stroked through the hair on his chest, lingering over the tightening nubs of his nipples, knowing exactly where and how to touch to rouse him into a frenzy of desire. A low growl rumbled from his chest.

Throwing one leg over his mate’s hip, the werewolf pressed his erect cock against the firm muscles of the body in his arms. He rocked back and forth, marking his mate with the scent of his desire. Extending his tongue, he tasted the skin down the side of his lover’s neck, running just the tip of his tongue in patterns through the soft hair behind his ear.

A pleading whimper caused his nascent wolf to rise up, anxious to lay claim to their mate. The werewolf searched under the furs, his hand finding a hardening cock. Swallowing a howl of delight, he grasped it gently and began to stroke it to full hardness.

His mate burrowed closer, rubbing their bodies together and commingling their scents into a heady aphrodisiac. He entwined their legs, canting his hips to bring their erections into contact. Groaning, the slender man pushed himself forward so that he was lying almost on top of the broader form of the awakening werewolf.

The werewolf cradled his mate’s face, straining to make out the features. He’d been denied a mate for so long, his body ached to be able to finally see the face of his beloved. Tunneling his fingers into the silk-soft hair, he pushed it back from the smooth skin, his thumbs outlining the sharp contour of cheekbones, the subtle curve of lips, and the slight rasp on the tip of his chin, but a clear image floated just out of reach. Unable to resist, he leaned forward and ran the tip of his tongue over the small patch of stubbled skin. Tilting the head in his hands, he joined their lips for a deep, slow kiss.

The familiar hands rubbed the werewolf’s shoulders in widening circles and moved down his back. When they reached the base of his spine, the fingers splayed open over his ass, pulling him up from the furs and closer, increasing the friction between their cocks.

His wolf was becoming impatient, pacing and watching for a chance to break free. His mate’s touch distracted him to the point where the concentration necessary to keep his wolf under control was slipping. He needed to speed things up, but this subtle buildup was so intoxicating.

The man in his arms nuzzled under his ear, nipping sharply. An involuntary shiver ran through the werewolf's body. A wet tongue replaced the warm breath and then the cool sensation of moving air caused another shiver as his lover blew softly on his neck. “I want you inside me,” a husky voice whispered.

His wolf leapt forward suddenly, rolling on top of their mate and pinning him to the furs. The werewolf struggled not to relinquish control to his wolf, pinning the man under him to keep him still. Every enticing squirm fueled his wolf’s strength and lessened his resolve to fight it. “Still,” he ordered in a deep rumble that was a mixture of human voice and lupine growl.

The scent of arousal increased, the body pinned beneath him violently shuddering and then going completely limp. Words fell over the werewolf like a cooling rain. “Shh… easy, baby. Come back and let me love you.”

His wolf pulled back with a whimper, unsatisfied at being denied release, but soothed by the calming tone. The werewolf loosened his grip, granting his lover the freedom to move again. Immediately the long, slender legs opened, circling his hips. Deft fingers moved between their bodies, coating his shaft and guiding him to the opening of his mate’s body. “You need me, don’t you? Come love me, so you’ll both be satisfied.”

The werewolf matched the head of his shaft to the small opening and pushed inside with one loud, rumbling groan. He began to move, pulling out until the head of his cock caught on the tight ring of muscle and then thrusting back in quickly. Every thrust of his hips caused a stream of whimpers and moans from his mate that spurred him to move faster, deeper, harder.

As his climax built, the connection with his mate began to fade. The werewolf struggled to pull back, desperate not to lose the link with the man he loved, but unable to stop the rush of pleasure building in his body. Clutching the man in his arms tightly to his body, he buried his face against the slender neck. Just as his body exploded with the most intense pleasure he’d ever experienced, his lover disappeared, the body… the scent… the warmth… the room fading into cool, gray mist.

Throwing back his head, he howled his pain into the dark, the gray mist absorbing his call.

Chapter 1

WILL NORTHLAND sat curled on a window seat in the library at the Sterling estate, his long, dark hair falling forward around his face as he gazed down unseeing at the book in his lap. His twin brother, Tristan, was officially mated to Benjamin Sterling, so that made Will family, but he still felt like he was intruding on Benjamin’s hospitality. It had been six months since Tristan had asked him to cross the ocean from their London home to help him cast the spell that had reunited Benjamin with his wolf and saved his life.

The spell had been a success, and Benjamin had been welcomed into the local werepack: a definite change for the better when it came to his social standing. Tristan and Benjamin had been invited over for dinner tonight with the pack Rajan, Alex Hanover, and Alex’s consort, Raul. Over breakfast, they had begged, pleaded, and cajoled Will into accompanying them, but he just wasn’t in the mood for being the fifth wheel—something he’d been feeling a lot lately.

All the signs pointed to something major happening in his life soon, but he took that with a grain of salt. Everything happens in its time, Gran used to say. He just needed to let go and not go messing about with things best left to the Goddess.

His cell phone buzzed in his pocket. Glancing at the screen, he flipped it open. “Davie, you wanker, you haven’t burned the place down, have you?” Davie Campbell and Scott Glover were his right and left hands at the small occult bookstore in London that he and Tristan had inherited from their grandmother.

“No, not that you’d care, ya wanker. Off gallivanting all over the globe,” Davie retorted.

Davie was young, but reliable and efficient, and Will fully realized what a treasure he had. When Tristan had needed him, it was nothing to hand over the bookstore to Davie and Scott. The two men treated it as if it were their own, and would bend over backwards to make it successful. Will could see Davie now, hip propped on the edge of the giant, scarred desk. He’d be wearing jeans. The only time Will had ever seen Davie in anything but jeans had been at his gran’s funeral. Both Davie and Scott had shown up in proper charcoal gray suits, causing Will to do a double take. The two stoners actually cleaned up pretty well. He suspected that the suits were bought for the occasion, possibly even rented, but he was touched by the effort.

“So if the store isn’t on fire, why are you pestering me?” Will teased, folding his long legs and hugging his knees, the phone propped between his shoulder and ear, anxious to hear about life in the country that he’d left behind.

“Just checking in. I figured, you’re the boss, and you just might like to know what is going on. Sales are up almost fifteen percent.”

“You put the damn manga display in anyway, didn’t you?” Will asked.

“Well, you said to run it like it was our own,” Scott chimed in from the background. The terrible twosome obviously had him on speakerphone.

“And they’re flying out of here, just like I told you they would,” Davie added.

“Fuckers.” Will shook his head, glad that they couldn’t see the smile on his face.

Tristan, however, could. His twin walked into the room, spotted the phone at Will’s ear, and curled into a wingback leather chair. “Davie and Scott?” he mouthed with a grin that mirrored Will’s.

Will nodded, listening to the chatter on the other end of the line as the two men filled him in on sales, customers, and the gossip that ran rampant in a small metaphysical community. He’d long ago gotten used to Davie starting a sentence and Scott finishing it. Before long the two were talking more to each other than him. “Guys. Guys!” he finally broke in. “Tristan needs me for something. I’ll talk to you in a few days, okay?”

They exchanged quick good-byes, and Tristan moved to curl up on the opposite side of the window seat from Will, their legs resting against each other in the middle. Tristan had always worn his thick, almost black hair shorter than Will’s, but the window reflected two identical faces, framed by cascades of hair well beyond their shoulders. “Gran would say you need a haircut,” Will stated, brushing Tristan’s hair back from his face.

Tristan mimicked the action. “She’d be very disappointed in both of us.”

“No, she wouldn’t. She’d just chastise us for looking scruffy.” Will chuckled. “She’d turn over in her grave if she knew that neither of us has had a haircut since she died.”

Eyes gazing unfocused out the window, Tristan said, “She once told me that she harped on our hair because otherwise we were perfect and it was a grandmother’s duty to complain about something.”

“Ha! Now there’s an expectation that’s impossible to live up to.”

Tristan looked back at his twin. “Not in her eyes. We could have ended up ax murderers, and she would have found a way to be proud of us. Some days I miss her so much my heart hurts.”

Will scooted over to put an arm around his brother. “I didn’t think there was room in your heart for anything but love these days. With Benjamin in your life, you practically walk on air.” Tristan laid his head on Will’s shoulder and Will rested his cheek on his twin’s soft curls.

“I’ve never been happier. I can’t describe how it feels to be with Benjamin—”

“Damn!” Will snapped his fingers in mock frustration. “I was so looking forward to some juicy details. My sex life’s been a bit lacking lately.”

Tristan elbowed his brother in the side, grinning when he buckled over with a sharply exhaled, “Oof.”

“Don’t bring up feelings if you don’t want to talk about them,” he scolded. “You sure you won’t come to dinner with us? You know you are welcome.”

“Yeah, but you guys are just too damn touchy-feely for me, and Alex and Raul are no better. I swear… you’d think werewolves would be more… I don’t know… feral.”

Tristan’s eyes sparkled. “Oh, they’re plenty wild….” He drew out the last word and left it hanging, leaving no doubt as to what he was referring to.

“Fuckin’ wanker,” Will cursed, cuffing Tristan’s shoulder. “Not fair gloating over your sex life when I have none and you won’t share.”

THE smell of grilled meat drifted in through the open windows of the farmhouse, mingling with the crisp, sweet tang of lilac. Tristan could hear the quiet rumble of his mate’s laughter as Benjamin joked with Alex and Raul on the patio. The hair on the back of his neck rose and a tiny shiver traveled down his spine. He reached for the half-empty bottle of wine sitting on the kitchen counter, adding a splash to the salad dressing he was mixing and the remainder to his glass.

Something wasn’t right. Tristan had been uneasy all day and had been experiencing unexpected chills since he and his mate had entered packlands. There was no safer place to be than the home of the Rajan, or King, of the local werepack, but that didn’t keep the witch from sensing a pall of dread and fear. A new voice entered the mix, and Tristan headed for the open French doors, certain that the cause of his unease was about to be revealed.

Eric, the head of the Guardians—the werewolves who protected and patrolled the borders of the packlands—stood before Alex, explaining something to the Rajan. Raul, the Rajan’s consort, stood beside his mate, a frown creasing his brow.

“Do you wish me to send him away?” Alex asked his mate, strong fingers reaching out to brush through his consort’s thick, blond hair.

Raul shook his head, leaning into the touch, seeking comfort and reassurance. “No, it was inevitable that I’d have to face my family at some point. Grant him safe passage and we’ll hear what he has to say. My father wouldn’t have sent Nicolai unless it was extremely important.”

Alex turned to the tall dark warrior, dressed in the silver torque of his position. “Allow him to enter, but escort him directly here. Double the normal guard on the borders and the house.”

“It will be done,” the Guardian replied, bowing formally before turning to leave.

“Maybe we should go,” Benjamin suggested, rising from the deck chair.

Raul placed a hand on his friend’s shoulder, squeezing slightly as he pressed him back into his seat. “No. You know my past. There is no reason for you and Tristan not to be present for this discussion. In fact, I’d like you here. I should like Tristan’s opinion.”

The slender witch walked over to the small group, perching on the arm of his mate’s chair. “On what?”

“The man who is coming is one of my father’s most trusted advisors, and fairly elderly. It would not be easy for him to travel. If he is here, he brings no good news. I have no idea what has transpired in my absence, but based on what was happening before I left and the circumstances surrounding my arrival here—”

“You mean the attempt to murder you?” Benjamin tossed in sarcastically. “Or rather, trick Alex into killing you legally.”

Raul nodded, a slight grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Yeah, that….”

“You know, I still have never heard the complete version of that story—only pieces as they appear in conversation, like now,” Tristan reminded the group.

“Later, I promise,” Raul said, pulling a long curling lock of the witch’s dark hair straight with a sharp tug.

Tristan swatted the blond man’s hand away from his hair as if he were shooing away flies. “Fine, fine. What do you want my opinion on?”

“I guess the veracity of what Nicolai is coming to say. I can judge the words; I want you to judge the feeling, the intent… read between the lines for me,” Raul answered.

“I can do that,” Tristan agreed, taking a sip of his wine before offering the glass to his mate.

Benjamin’s blue eyes glowed up at him, his hand reaching up to curve around Tristan’s neck and pull him down for a kiss. His low voice rumbled against his mate’s lips. “Tastes much better from you… and far more intoxicating.”

Alex cleared his throat to warm them of Eric’s return. All four men stood, watching as the small party made its way across the yard from the tree line.

Coming to a halt directly in front of Alex and Raul, the elderly man in the center of the approaching group struggled to kneel. Alex reached out instinctively, catching his arm. “Your neck is enough, Adel, ancient one.”

Nicolai’s eyes darted up gratefully as he bared his neck, lowering his eyes as he offered his life to the Rajan in the ritualistic show of submission. Alex lowered his mouth to the vulnerable juncture, breathing in deeply as his teeth touched the skin. He could feel the steady beat of Nicolai’s heart and smell the worry wafting off the elder. Worry. Not fear.

“Be welcome, Nicolai Thunderstruck, chief advisor to Randolf Carlisle, King of the Cayuga Pack. Join us in sustenance and unburden yourself by sharing your missive,” Alex replied formally, straightening to his full six-foot-three-inch height.

“May blessings and peace reign in your pack,” Nicolai answered, bowing to the Rajan. Turning to Raul, he offered his neck again.

Raul grasped the slender shoulders of the man he’d known since birth, lowering his face to the offered neck, but pulling the smaller man into a fierce embrace at the same time. “Nicolai.”

Nicolai’s hands came up to rest on Raul’s back. “Fearsome times, lowell. I’m happy you are well and safe, young one.”

“Tell me,” Raul replied, pulling back and leading the advisor to a chair.

Nicolai settled into the wicker chair, the other men taking seats around him in a circle. The Guardians stepped back to the perimeter of the deck, but stayed intensely alert.

“Your father is not well. He has not left his bed this past month.”

Raul frowned, feeling a stab to his heart at the thought of losing his father. “I thank you for coming to tell me, but—”

“That is not why I’m here,” Nicolai continued. “Your brother, Richard, has disappeared. In his absence, the witch, Sienna, is ruling from the throne.”

Chapter 2

“WHAT?” Raul was on his feet again. “How… by what right? Did he mate with her? Has she been changed?”

Alex got up, standing behind his mate, bringing the front of his body into complete contact with the back of Raul’s. Raul gratefully rocked back into the steady strength of his lover, allowing the touch to calm and steady him.

Nicolai shook his head. “They married, but do not share a mate-bond. The council has never approved her changing. We don’t trust her and neither did your father, but without Richard’s presence, your father is in no position to control her. She is your brother’s wife and has stepped into the role she would have filled had she been changed and they had officially mated.”

“How long has he been gone?” Alex asked, the calm, matter-of-fact tone of his voice easing the agitation of the group. Raul, Benjamin, Nicolai, and even Tristan responded to the vibrations of the alpha’s voice.

“Four days. The Guardians have searched our packlands extensively. He is not to be found. We fear that he’s been harmed by her in some way,” Nicolai answered solemnly.

“Based on her track record, I’d say that is a good bet,” Raul snorted. “So you’ve come to ask me to come home.”

The elder met Raul’s gaze. “Not to rule. We know that you hold the position of consort of this pack. We would not infringe on that commitment. I come on behalf of the council to ask you to help us find your brother. You are born of the same womb, bonded from birth. If anyone can find him, it will be you.”

Alex nuzzled Raul’s neck, his warm breath and the smooth touch of his lips reassuring his mate that he did not stand in this alone. Raul straightened within the circle of his lover’s arms. “I appreciate the urgency of your request,” he told Nicolai. “Give me until dawn’s light and you will have my answer. Tonight, take your rest with us. Eric will show you to the guest house and see to your comfort.”

The tall Guardian stepped silently from the shadows. Nicolai stood, turning toward Eric and then hesitating. Raul stepped forward immediately, embracing the elder. Rubbing their cheeks together, he whispered, “He is not lost to us. I would feel it.”

Nicolai nodded, his hands shaking as he reached up to return the hug. “The pack cannot stand to lose both of you. Find him.” With a final squeeze of Raul’s arm, he turned to follow Eric.

Alex turned Raul around, tilting his chin up with his fingers. “You must do what you feel is right, but not having you with me will be the hardest thing I’ve ever faced.”

Raul grinned at his mate, bumping against his chin. “You’re that sure I’m going, are you?”

Instead of picking up on the tease, the Rajan framed Raul’s face with his hands, pulling him close. “I know your heart. You will do what is right for those you love.”

Tipping his face up, Raul brought their lips together for a brief kiss that promised more the second they were alone. “We need a plan. Sienna is dangerous.”

“Do you think she’s done the same thing to him that she did to you?” Benjamin asked.

“I wouldn’t put it past her,” Raul answered. Turning to Tristan, he said, “I’m going to need your input in this. Sienna is powerful. If Richard is gone, witchcraft is involved.”

“I’d love to help,” Tristan started. “But since I know nothing about Sienna… or your brother….”

“Okay, fine. Story first, then we’ll plan,” Raul agreed.

“Finally,” Tristan stated, settling closer to Benjamin on the swing and curling his legs up underneath him. Benjamin chuckled softly, pulling his mate against his chest, his hand wedging firmly under Tristan’s arm to anchor him close.

Despite the grimness of Nicolai’s news, Raul echoed Benjamin’s chuckle at Tristan’s enthusiasm. “Okay, let me see if I can take you back. Benjamin and Alex can fill in where my memory fails me.”

Alex rolled his eyes at his mate’s love for storytelling. Like any one of them were likely to forget.

RAULwoke to the pounding of a thousand trolls trying to break out of his skull. Green eyes squinting against the bright sunlight, he raised a hand to shield them and stared around at the unfamiliar landscape, wincing when he tried to sit up too quickly. He felt as if he’d been hit by a train. If he’d been capable of getting drunk, he’d think he had a hangover, but his lycan metabolism ruled out that explanation.

Where in the fuck was he?

Raul sniffed the ground around him. The tang of iron from the soil mixed with the familiar musk of his twin and the overwhelming patchouli Raul had come to associate with his twin’s lover, Sienna. Rising with the economy of movement of a gymnast, or a predator, the tawny-haired man scanned the horizon for some landmark he recognized. Finding nothing, he did a cursory check of his body. Other than his head, which was already feeling better, he was fine.

Brushing the loose grass from his jeans, he started to walk toward the tree line, piecing together the facts he knew. He was clothed, so he hadn’t shifted since he got dressed on Thursday morning. The day was still unknown because he had no idea how long he’d been unconscious, but it was approaching sunset and he was starving. The clearing he was in was small and surrounded on three sides by hardwood forest. Good for hunting, but not his hunting ground.

Raul Carlisle was the Beta of the Cayuga pack, one of the oldest werewolf packs in the northeast United States—second only to his father, the Alpha and King of their pack. His twin, Richard, was Gamma, or third, and leader of the pack’s Guardians. A twist of fate had made Raul senior to his twin by mere seconds; however, he was also Fridolf, a peacemaker. Once in every generation of the royal line, a child was born without the natural tendency to fight for dominance. Their role was to be a diplomat between the pack, other lycans, and humans. Richard had never understood that Raul didn’t want the throne. The older twin had the same urges to lead and protect their people as his father and sibling, but the fighting instinct to take and hold the Alpha position wasn’t in him.

Sitting on a fallen log at the edge of the forest, Raul took a deep breath, watching as the sun dipped below the treetops, painting the sky with pink and orange. The desire to howl for his pack was almost overwhelming, but based on the scents on the ground where he had come to, he’d bet his life that Richard and his witch, Sienna, had something to do with his current predicament. Depending on what they had done and where he was, making his presence known might very well “bet his life.” Not only did the forest not look the same as his home, it smelled different—crisper, with a hard edge, more evergreens.

He glanced to the east. The pale reflection of the waxing moon pulled at his gut. Two more days until the full moon. That would make it Friday, if his judgment was to be trusted. He needed to find out where he was and what his twin had done.

There were advantages to both of Raul’s forms, but when lost in a strange wood, his wolf was definitely more adept at finding food. He was unsure of how long it had been since he had eaten, but his rumbling stomach ranked hunting first on his “to do” list. Waiting for dusk to darken to night, he carefully removed his clothes and hung them over a tree branch. Lycans had no problem with nudity, even in groups, but most of the human population did. It would be better to preserve his one set of clothes. Ears catching the rustling of a bush behind him, Raul’s body shimmered and shifted as his head turned. Where the tall, blond man had stood, a large rust-colored wolf bounded into the woods, ears perked forward, tail straight out.

Dinner turned out to be several large rabbits, which suited the displaced werewolf just fine. If he had killed a deer, the remains would have been scented, attracting the local pack and letting them know there was a lone wolf in their territory. Raul didn’t fear interaction with other packs, as long as proper protocol was followed; it was what he had been trained for since birth. But the consequence of traveling into another pack’s lands without making a bid for safe travel at the border was death—with no exception. Presuming that treachery had brought him to this place, he was certain that the point had been to kill him and let his death be blamed on the local pack.

Wading into a stream he’d crossed while hunting, Raul dipped his head to drink of the clean, cool water before rolling in it to wash his fur. Climbing out on the bank, he shook, using the run back to his clothes to dry himself.

Full, clean, and dressed, the werewolf debated his best course of action. He needed to find out where he was, first, and then attempt to get home or at least to the border of these lands to ask for permission to be here. Every pack had Guardians who patrolled the borders and protected the pack from interlopers. If he was found inside the packland, he would be killed, but if he could get back to neutral territory, he could petition the pack’s Alpha for sanctuary until he determined what had happened to bring him here.

The rumble of a truck motor carried from the east. Vehicles meant a road, which had to lead somewhere. Glancing around to make sure he’d left nothing behind, Raul headed toward the moon.

PANTINGto catch his breath, Raul ran, head down, flying around trees and leaping over brush. A pack of werewolves was closing on him. By the sound of the howls, it was a standard hunting group of six males, all in their prime. Raul was a match for their speed, agility, and stamina, but they knew the terrain, which gave them a huge advantage. It was only a matter of time before they caught him.

Reaching the road he’d been headed toward before the Hunters had crossed his scent, he bounded straight across and into the woods on the other side. He’d been forced to change to wolf form when he’d heard the first pack call. It would have been impossible to escape them as a man, which made the road no good to him now. As a wolf, he’d either be shot or hit. If he changed back into human form, he’d be arrested for indecent exposure and with no ID, he’d be hard pressed to explain his presence without involving his family.

The trees began to thin out, allowing him to pick up speed. Focusing straight ahead, Raul put on a burst of speed that he suspected would be his last. He needed some divine intervention to escape. Breaking the tree line, he was hit squarely from the left by a dark wolf that matched him for size. The two went tumbling, each attempting to gain the superior position, growling, snapping, and biting. The dark wolf finally pinned him. He was exhausted from the run and possibly still depleted from whatever had knocked him unconscious. The attacking wolf seemed fresh and was ahead of the others. He must have heard the calls and circled ahead of him.

The dark wolf stood, his mouth remaining on Raul’s neck, a low dangerous rumble issuing from his chest. Even in this vulnerable position, Raul’s wolf knew it was in no danger. The dark wolf was completely in control and if it had wanted to kill, it already would have. When Raul remained passive, belly up, legs spread, limp, the victor took a step back, shaking his dark, thick ruff and shimmering into his human form. He was slightly over six feet, matching Raul in height and weight, his hair long with red highlights streaking the gold. Even in the dark, the ice-blue of his eyes glowed.

Raul was surprised. The werewolf was far more vulnerable in his human form. If he’d had his brother’s instincts, he’d have lunged, but the diplomat in him recognized an offer of peace. Rolling to his feet, he changed, remaining on the ground so the other werewolf wouldn’t feel threatened. Bowing his head, he ceded the fight as a man.

“Who are you?”

Raul stood, straightening to his full height, heedless of the lack of clothes on either of them. “Raul Carlisle, Beta of the Cayuga werepack.”

The full listing of his title and family line were cut short by the barks and howls of the Hunters reaching the tree line. He expected them to break through and kneeled to show that he’d already been subdued. The wolf next to him was obviously Alpha in both posture and scent. The Hunters would likely surround them to protect their Alpha and carry out his orders, but they wouldn’t attack until ordered by their superior.

When the wolves didn’t enter the clearing, but stayed just out of sight in the trees, their barks growing more agitated, Raul looked up at the Alpha werewolf for an explanation.

“They won’t enter my land,” the man said simply, extending his hand to help Raul to his feet. “Benjamin Sterling,” he added, introducing himself in an unexpectedly human gesture.

Raul took the offered hand, his eyes darting back to the wolves just out of sight. “Why won’t they enter?”

“I am Phelan,” Benjamin answered matter-of-factly, watching the newcomer for his reaction.

“Cursed?” Raul asked, looking at the man suspiciously. He’d never actually met a werewolf changed by a curse. All of the members of his pack were hereditary, with the exception of his twin’s witch. She was an outsider who had petitioned the pack to be changed so she could mate with Richard, but the Council had yet to pass judgment. “They won’t enter your home, but they let you live on packland?”

“They really don’t have a choice.” Benjamin shrugged. “My family has owned this land for generations. Centuries of cursed ancestors are buried there.” He nodded toward a small hill.

Raul could see the headstones silhouetted in the moonlight. “Hallowed ground.”

Benjamin nodded. “If you will accept my sanctuary, you are welcome in my home. Even the hospitality of a Phelan beats being killed for trespassing.”

Raul silently agreed, but replied formally. Werewolves could be a ceremonious bunch. “I gratefully accept your offer of sanctuary and acknowledge that I owe you a life debt.” He bowed, holding his head to the side to bare his neck, offering his life should his savior choose to take it.

Benjamin grasped Raul’s shoulder, encouraging him to straighten. “Let’s go up to the house and find some scotch to enjoy while we share stories. I’ll tell you the history of my family if you’ll share how a prince with impeccable protocol ends up running from a pack of Hunters.”

“Agreed. Which way?”

“Farther east. We’ll travel faster on four feet than two,” Benjamin added, shimmering into the dark wolf, eyes still glowing. With a sharp yip, he turned and bounded toward the hill that held the cemetery.

Raul changed and followed, a sonorous howl answering the dark wolf’s call.

A large estate appeared on the horizon as they rounded the hill. Open meadow changed to orchard and formal gardens. Raul slowed to match Benjamin’s pace as they approached the house. Heading straight for the veranda, the dark wolf loped over the flagstone and pushed through a wolf-sized door into a wine cellar of cold, gray stone, with wooden racks holding hundreds of bottles.

Benjamin shimmered back to human form, indicating that Raul should do the same. Pulling boxers and jeans from a dresser in the corner, he tossed a set to his guest. “I always keep extra clothes around. It helps me keep staff.”

Raul stepped into the jeans, fastening the buttons. “Do you always come in through a dog door?” he asked, his voice heavily laced with humor.

Benjamin chuckled, pulling a shirt from a hook on the wall and throwing it around his shoulders. “My grandfather had it made. My grandmother hated him coming back into the house naked after hunting. This way, he could sneak in as a wolf and dress properly before joining her in the parlor.”

“Ah… well, that explains it. Now, you mentioned scotch,” Raul reminded, not so subtly, rubbing his hands together.

“A man after my own heart,” Benjamin exclaimed, clapping his guest on the back and letting his hand rest around the broad shoulders as they walked toward the door. “I wish it did more than taste good, but you can’t have everything.”

“Yeah, I remember being so disappointed as a teenager when I’d go out drinking with my friends and stay annoyingly sober while they got plastered. Drunk people can be amazingly irritating when you aren’t inebriated. My twin’s girlfriend has concocted a potion that seems to affect him very much like alcohol, but I don’t like ingesting things I know are spelled.”

Benjamin bristled slightly at the mention of potions and spells. “Your twin is mated to a witch?”

They had reached a cozy room that Raul would label a library. Most of the walls were lined with floor to ceiling bookcases, the books all looking well-read. Comfortable leather chairs and scarred wooden tables were scattered around the room. One of the tables held a crystal decanter and glasses. “Well, not mated, just dating. It is her wish to be turned, so they might mate,” Raul answered as Benjamin poured them both glasses of deep amber liquid, “but the pack council has yet to vote.”

It was too warm for a fire, but they sat around the fireplace nonetheless; something about fireplaces and kitchen tables draws people for discussions. “I’ve been married, but based on the descriptions I’ve heard, it wasn’t a mating. Does mating only happen between two werewolves?” Benjamin mused.

“No. We have pack members that are mated to humans, but because of his position in the pack, she would have to be changed. He is in line to be Alpha, which would make her the Alpha female and bearer of children. Richard seems besotted with her, but I don’t sense the kind of bond that would imply a life mating. That may just be my prejudices, though. There is something about her I don’t trust.”

“Oh…?”

“I suspect that she is behind my little trip,” Raul said, realizing it was probably time for some explanations. “What day is it and where am I?”

“It is Friday and you are just outside of Rocky Falls, New York,” Benjamin answered readily.

“Well, at least I’m still in the US,” Raul snorted derisively. “On Thursday evening, I got back late from a Council meeting. I ate the dinner I assumed my housekeeper had prepared for me and that is the last thing I remember until I woke up, my head pounding, in a clearing about fifteen miles west of here.”

“It’s not easy to drug a werewolf. Most drugs don’t work. We metabolize them too fast,” Benjamin commented, staring into the cold stone fireplace as if he could read the future in the absent flames.

“Which is why I suspect Sienna, Richard’s witch. She is ambitious. Richard is not enough for her as third in line to the throne. She wants to be Alpha and Mother. Within our royal line, the Alpha bears children or grants for children to be born. It cuts down on the amount of infighting for dominance.” Raul ran a weary hand through his hair, dislodging a leaf. “Guess I could use a bath,” he chuckled.

“I wasn’t thinking.” Benjamin got to his feet. “You must be hungry and exhausted.”

“Actually, I ate before I ran into you, but someplace to sleep would be welcome. Can I take a rain check on the rest of our conversation?” Raul asked, not wanting to appear rude. They had talked about him and he had yet to find out anything about his host.

“Certainly, though I’m afraid my tale isn’t nearly as interesting as yours. Let me take you up to a room. Mary, my housekeeper, always keeps a couple of rooms made up for guests.” Benjamin led the way out of the library and up a wide staircase to the second floor. Walking down a hall of identical doors, he opened the second on the right and stepped aside.

Raul walked into a large bedroom, decorated completely in browns from the dark walnut of the wood to the light cream of the carpet. There was another unlit fireplace in the corner with a picture of a majestic looking auburn wolf above the mantle. “Family?” he asked, indicating the painting.

Benjamin laughed. “No, my family doesn’t tend to celebrate its dark side. I actually started collecting wolf prints several years ago. Having my business colleagues view wolves as my ‘hobby’ works to my advantage.”

“I can see that.” Raul prowled around the room, his wolf quiet inside of him, sensing no danger. Phelan or not, he liked Benjamin Sterling.

Crossing to a connecting door, Benjamin opened it and switched on the light. “This is the bathroom. The kitchen is downstairs in the opposite direction from the library, but I’ll come get you in the morning. Old houses like this can get a little confusing. We are close enough to the same size that my clothes should do until we can get to town to buy you some. Do you want a phone tonight to call your family?”

The final comment caught Raul by surprise. That should have been his first instinct, but until the other man suggested it, it had never even occurred to him. For a second, loneliness swamped him. Wolves were social creatures, yet he lived a very solitary existence. A man or wolf of his age should have a mate, someone at home who would worry about him, but no one had ever come close to stirring that level of interest in him. His mother and father would be worried, but until he figured out what was going on, it suited his purposes for his location and health to remain unknown. “No. I think for now it is best for whoever did this to think that they succeeded.”

The hollow tone in the other werewolf’s voice roused Benjamin’s wolf. Walking to the Prince’s side, he pulled him into a tight embrace. Wolves were very tactile creatures, communicating more through body contact than sound. It was the thing that he missed most, being ostracized from the pack. They stood that way for several minutes, each leaning into the strength of the other—two lone wolves brought together by sorcery.

“Get some rest,” Benjamin said finally. “Tomorrow morning, we’ll make a plan.”

Raul nodded, watching as the door closed behind his host.

BENJAMINwas up early the next morning, taking care of business so he could spend the day helping Raul in whatever way he could. Ending a call with his assistant in New York, he sat back in his chair and propped his feet on the desk. Sensing Conrad’s entrance more than hearing it, he turned, smiling at his houseman. “Good morning, Conrad. I have something I’d like you to research for me.”

“Yes, sir.” The stately man nodded slightly. Tall and slender, with large hands and feet, he looked like a teenager who hadn’t quite grown into his body. Only the gray at his temples gave away his true age.

“We have a guest in the east wing.” Benjamin didn’t have to specify how he wanted him treated. His staff was first-rate and spoiled everyone equally. “I need you to find out everything you can for me about the Cayuga werepack, including what is currently going on with politics and gossip.”

Conrad wasn’t a werewolf, but he had incredible contacts. “Will this afternoon be soon enough, sir?”

Benjamin smirked. “I think that’ll do,” he teased. “I’m going to go wake our guest. Would you tell Mary that we’ll be down for breakfast in fifteen minutes?”

“Certainly, sir.” As silently as he had entered, the houseman turned to leave.

Taking the stairs two at a time, Benjamin rapped on Raul’s door, turning the knob at the response to enter. “Good morning,” he greeted, walking into the room.

Raul was standing by the window, looking out over the gardens toward the lake. “You have a truly amazing estate. The dark didn’t do it justice.”

“Thank you. Like many things, it can be a burden as well as a blessing.”

“I’m sure. Thank you again for taking me in. I’m sure I’m not earning you any points with the local pack.”

Benjamin shrugged. “I’m not sure I have anything to lose, but we will certainly be contacted sometime today, and it would be best to stay away from the borders of the estate until an agreement has been reached. If you give me your sizes and a shopping list for anything else you might need, I can send someone to town. The estate is completely surrounded by packland, and until we have talked with the Rajan, we should stay here.”

“Rajan?”

“The Rajan—Alpha—of the Onondaga pack is Alex Hanover. He is fierce—took the pack by force from an ineffectual King about five years ago, but he’s fair and a good leader. He took the title Rajan because he didn’t want to be seen as the same kind of leader their King had been.”

“Well, I guess we’ll be seeing firsthand what kind of leader he is. It appears that whoever set me up did their homework,” Raul continued as they left the room and headed down to breakfast. “They chose a pack that has recently been in turmoil but been reclaimed by an absolute Alpha. Security would be strict and punishment absolute.”

With a nod of agreement, Benjamin entered the kitchen. “Raul, this is my angel, Mary,” he said, introducing his guest to the short, heavyset woman removing something from the oven.

“My, my,” Mary tutted, wiping her hands on her apron and shuffling across the kitchen. “You’ve got no more meat on you than the Master.” She patted Raul’s flat, muscular stomach.

Benjamin grinned indulgently, rolling his eyes at Raul over her head. “Mary believes a man’s wealth and well-being should show in his girth,” he teased, dropping an affectionate kiss on the older woman’s cheek.

She flushed, looking up at Benjamin with a grin. “With your wealth, you wouldn’t fit through the door. I’d settle for your clothes not hanging on you.” She swatted at him as he moved toward the table. When Raul chuckled at their antics, she swatted at him, too, shooing him after Benjamin. “Or you either, young man.”

Both men laughed as they sat on opposite sides of the heavy oak table. “She’s a treasure,” Raul whispered as the housekeeper turned back to the stove.

“She and Conrad are my family,” Benjamin said, his eyes softening.

It seemed like as good an opening as any and Raul was curious. “Tell me about the curse.”

Benjamin waited until Mary had settled several large platters of breakfast meats, eggs, and a carafe of coffee on the table and moved back to the sink. Even though all of his staff knew of his condition and most knew the story of the curse, he was reticent in the telling out of habit.

“In the late 1600s, Lucas Sterling, my several-greats grandfather, got a local girl by the name of Anne Northland pregnant out of wedlock. He married a very well-connected young woman from Boston shortly after, abandoning Anne and her unborn child. Both died in childbirth.”

Pausing, Benjamin lifted his coffee mug to his lips, focusing on the steam rising from the dark liquid. “Anne was a well-known hedge witch, mostly herbals and midwifery. It was not a time when witchcraft was practiced openly, so there are no official records. It is said that on the night before Lucas’s wedding, Anne cursed him and his entire line. His son was the first to undergo the change. When that happened, Anne had been dead for more than a decade. Her only known relative was a twin brother, who disappeared after she died in childbirth. Since that time, the firstborn Sterling male of every generation has become a werewolf when he reached adolescence.”

Raul was stunned, unsure of exactly what to say. The very thing he viewed as a gift, this man bore as a curse. “What if there are no children?”

Benjamin’s mouth quirked, his eyes completely without humor. “Seems like it would be an easy out, doesn’t it? But the curse seems to account for that. We seem to attract bed partners with alarming ease, something that is very hard to not take advantage of when you are young and horny. Even the men who didn’t marry or set out to have a family managed to father a bastard who bore the curse.”

Raul examined the man sitting across from him. Benjamin was indeed good looking. His jaw was strong and defined, his cheekbones high. His face was that of an aristocrat, and he had the tiniest hint of a cleft in his chin. He was obviously charming, noble, and more importantly, carried himself with the kind of quiet confidence that was incredibly appealing. Raul’s wolf stirred at his perusal, sensing the prospect of coupling, but Raul pushed him down. That was the last complication he needed on top of everything else.

Unfortunately, Benjamin’s wolf scented the waft of interest and rose, returning the scent. Raul’s body was like coiled steel—all lithe, strong power. It had been a long time since he had taken anyone, man or woman, to his furs, and they were only a night away from the full moon—not a good time to test his control. He needed distraction.

“So what do we do to get me out of here, preferably in one piece and alive?” Raul asked. Nothing like talking about one’s eminent death by evisceration to dampen desire.

Benjamin’s wolf paced, uneasy at the abrupt change in mood and scent. Taking a deep breath, he reached inside and soothed the animal. “I’m guessing that the phone will ring shortly. It won’t be Alex—probably Mark, his Beta. High enough to say, ‘We aren’t kidding’, but letting you know that you aren’t worthy of the attention of the Alpha. In the meantime, let’s go back to the library and see if we can find a spell that could be used to render a lycanthrope unconscious.”

“You have books on witchcraft that works on lycanthropes?” Raul asked, amazed and more than a little wary. Had he fallen from the frying pan into the fire?

“When you are a lycanthrope as a result of witchcraft, you have a tendency to want to learn all you can,” Benjamin explained evenly. “My family has been researching ways to break our curse for centuries. We haven’t had any success, but we have built an impressive library on the subject. If we go back to the site where you woke up, we might even be able to determine whether a spell or mechanical means got you there. That will have to wait until we see if the pack will grant you safe passage.”

“Sounds good to me,” Raul said, rising and stretching, the borrowed shirt riding up and exposing a strip of golden, tanned muscle.

Another purr of interest rumbled from Benjamin’s wolf, but he sat on it with force.

“IT’S getting late,” Benjamin interrupted Raul’s story. “We should get some sleep and meet first thing in the morning.”

Raul had felt his lover’s agitation rise the closer he got to the part of the story where they’d first met. Knowing this part of the story as well as Raul did, Benjamin had probably sensed it too. Alex had come a long way in his acceptance of Benjamin and Raul didn’t want to go back to the animosity that the two men had once shared. It was probably best not to refresh his mate’s memory of the day they first met—the day he’d been wearing Benjamin’s scent.

Chapter 3

“YOU stopped Raul there on purpose,” Tristan accused, strolling into their bedroom and shooting his mate a playful glare over his shoulder. “I can’t believe I finally got Raul to tell me the story of how you all met and you interrupted him. He was just getting to the best part.”

Benjamin’s eyes narrowed and he felt his wolf stirring. “You wanted