Chapter ONE
Caleb
Two weeks after Colin’s death;
Three months until the next Hunt
Iwant to kill the love of my life.
Since my father, Alpha Jack Waller, was killed during a rogue attack five months ago, I have been trying to carry on his legacy. Everyone loved my father, and Bloodhound’s prior success is owed to him. His hunting powers, bestowed upon him by the Moon Goddess, kept everyone fed, even through the harshest of seasons and allowed for swift justice with our enemies. These skills and resources combined made our pack a desired ally and a feared enemy. But now, they question whether our partnership is worth it.
Our pack is grateful to have my mother, Luna Kathy, to guide us in his absence. They’re inspired by her strength and ability to continue strong leadership even with our Alpha’s passing. Little do they know I’ve been the one doing it all. Behind closed doors, my mother is exhausted, grief-stricken and miserable. Lately, they haven’t seen much of her.
“The higher you climb, the harder you fall.” And losing her mate brought the hardest fall of all: her strength dwindles faster than anyone expected. Grief obliterates the instinct to survive, resulting in a lack of care for self. This only hastens her decline.
When wolves lose their mate, your strength will dwindle overtime until you, eventually pass, too. That is, unless you mate with another. My mother made it clear she will not remate. So,I’m left to watch her fade each day. To know the inevitable is coming doesn’t make it any easier for me.
Besides Jemma and Tyler, no one else knows the extent of my mother’s condition, and we intend to keep it that way. Everyone assumes we’re weak. If anyone sees her as anything but strong, the wrong person will exploit it. I refuse to lose another parent to our enemies. If my mother wishes to pass on with dignity, I’ll do everything in my power to make that happen.
Keeping this from our pack is one thing. Hiding it from the royal board is another. If they knew she was losing strength, they’d force her to abdicate as Luna. The choice would be to arrange a mate for me, so I could take over as alpha or, if I refused, to renounce my right to ascend. The latter would shatter generations of family leaders, destroy my father’s legacy and historically alter the line of succession. Neither option is great, but with the current political tension between the crown and council, I’m searching for a way through this.
I just need time—something I don’t have.
I’ve tried bargaining with my mother, telling her I could choose a mate, but she insists we wait until I find my fated mate. Knowing the powerful connection she had with my father, she wants the same for me. She’s gone as far to pull the “dying wish” card.
I once intended to honor it, but I can’t any longer.
Mother wants to stall long enough to give me time to find my mate, but faking ignorance of her whereabouts is getting harder.
My hope is after enough strikeouts she’ll give up and allow me to choose another. Secretly out of commission, Luna still holds the title. Permission to forsake a fated mate and take a chosen must go first to my mother, then the council, and finally, the crown.
Until my mother concedes, my efforts are divided between appeasing her and securing the pack’s borders. The rogues andnewborns still roam and plague the kingdom, but since they lost the battle, and their leader, they haven’t been as much as an issue.
Except for one rogue in particular.
My mate.
On the fateful day Colin’s horde attacked us, I knew of her existence. Consequently, it was the same time the queen was missing. Alaina has always been important to me, but my mate’s scent was not something I could ignore. Hesitation to leave Mother after Father’s death lingered, but when I told her I’d picked up my mate’s scent, she smiled. The fallen alpha’s son had found his mate. It was the light at the end of the tunnel this pack needed. My mother is convinced my father sent her.
It was the last time I had seen my mother’s genuine smile, the one that isn’t wrought with grief.
My mate’s intoxicating honey scent haunts me, even months later.
With my mother’s blessing, I planned to track my mate right then and there. At least, that was my plan until I wasvoluntoldby King Dax to search forhismate. I cared for Alaina, but searching for my mate made the world’s problems fade. The thought of telling him I’d found her and abandoning the search for Alaina was tempting. Past beatings proved King Dax wouldn’t allow it. Survival had to come first if I wanted any chance with my mate.
Exhausted and victorious, I couldn’t wait to finally meet my mate. I scoured the forest, using my tracking skills. I eventually found her, but I wasn’t relieved.
Perhaps she was a visitor from another pack—or even better, a warrior from Crescent. I was so focused on the thrill of my mate’s existence I didn’t think she could be a rogue in the army.
I watched her, my new obsession, with the other rogues and vampires. I could smell them.
I’ve never wanted to hate-fuck someone so hard before.
I never approached her. Instead, I left and told my mother I couldn’t find her. She hates rogues just as much as I do, arguably more. Had she been a rogue in the very army that killed my father, I couldhave overlooked her status. But who could acceptthis?
My favorite prey to hunt.
And the most wanted on my kill list.
