A Fey's Wolf Read online

  “I can see that it’s going to take more than me asking you to stay,” Niall said from the doorway.

  Torq tucked the phone back into his pocket and met his alpha’s gaze. “You’ve no clue what it’s like,” he said walking into the office.

  Niall laughed, the sound humorless. “You think not? My mate was shot while out running in wolf form, leaving me a widow and a single father. Do you have any clue how hard that was? Every day the only reason I got out of bed was because there was a little boy who was either crying for his mother or tugging on my arm because he was hungry those first couple years. You think I don’t know what it feels like to lose someone you love? Let me tell you how it felt to find your mate lying next to a hunter with her fur being neatly cut off as a trophy. How about that? You’re an Omega, feel what I felt.”

  He couldn’t stop the onslaught of memories or the pain that sliced through him as Niall’s memories became his own. Minutes seemed like hours as he watched in horror as the huge alpha wolf ripped the human to shreds, then shifted to human and held what was left of his mate, crying as he rocked back and forth.

  Torq knew that his first mate had been killed. They all knew. He’d tried to help soothe Emerson’s and Payton’s pain, but Niall hadn’t wanted anyone to help him. He fell to his knees, blood dripping onto the concrete unheeded.

  “Enough, Niall.”

  Cora’s cool hands brushed his hair back from his forehead, but he couldn’t see her clearly. “So much pain. How can you stand it?” he whispered hoarsely.

  Niall knelt in front of him. “I had a reason to keep on living. You, I can see you’re thinking like I did when I saw my first mate, and what that animal had done to her. I was willing to die right then and there, not giving two shits that I had a son who needed his father,” Niall choked on a sob. “If I’d allowed myself to do as I wanted, and gone on a killing frenzy, which I wanted to do so bad I could feel the flesh of every hunter within miles, beneath my teeth, I’d have been hunted and killed within a month. The Goddess saw fit to give me another mate, one who fills my heart and soul and every other piece of me. I had to be patient, brother. That’s what I’m trying to tell you. Fate may have fucked you, but the Goddess will take care of hers, and you, you’re hers, just as I am. As all of us are.”

  Finally, Torq realized why he hadn’t been able to see. He’d been crying silently, the excruciating pain easing enough he could breathe and blinked several times. Seeing Niall, the alpha of the Mystic Wolves on his knees, crying along with him gave him the strength to nod and agree. “I can’t promise I’ll stay here forever, but I can promise I’m not going to jump off a cliff without a chute any time soon.”

  Niall grabbed him by the back of the head and pressed their foreheads together. “Promise me you’ll come to me before you do anything stupid,” he ordered.

  Torq copied Niall, gripping the back of the other man’s head and gave a squeeze. “You’ll be the first I tell if I’m leaving. However, my brother has been nagging me to come meet my nieces and his mate.” He didn’t say the thought of seeing his brother happy with his female sent a shard of envy through his heart. Fuck, he was becoming a great big asshole.

  “Aw, are we like, hugging shit out now? ‘Cause, I’m just gonna tell y’all, I ain’t down for that. I mean, I like you, and you, but I’m not a hugger. Well, I like hugging women, but only because I like the feel of their soft breasts pressed to my chest. Men, not so much.”

  Torq turned to glare at Dev, one of the other enforcers, and flipped him off. “Brother, you really don’t want to fuck with me right now.”

  “That’s what I’m saying. I don’t want to fuck any of y’all—ever.” Dev tucked his thumbs in the front pockets of his jeans.

  “Is there a reason you’re in my office, Dev?” Niall pulled himself up and held his hand out for Torq, helping him to his feet.

  “Oh, the manager at the Mystic Lodge called and said he needed a reference thing on a Talia. I figured that was Torq’s duty since she’s kinda his mother-in-law and shit.” Dev held a slip of paper up. “He called the bar line asking for the manager. Did she put down she used to work here? I thought she’d done flew the realm?”

  Niall took the paper from Dev passing it to Torq.

  Torq growled. “Who called and when? Is the manager a shifter?”

  Dev backed up a pace. “Hold up there, don’t get growly with me. He called about ten minutes ago, but I had to finish putting the stock away. Anyway, here you go. I got women to do, and shit to—you know. Holler if you need me.” Dev winked before he walked out the door.

  “What’s going on, Niall?”

  Niall raised both brows. “Looks like the Goddess is working in your favor.”

  Cora held out a box of Kleenex to Torq, but he shook his head.

  “You’ve got blood dripping from your nose and eyes, thanks to this one.” She pointed at Niall.

  He took the tissues and wiped his nose, shocked to see the red stain. Huh, he’d thought the reason he couldn’t see was due to tears. He made a mental note not to piss off Niall, or rather to pay the fucker back one day soon.

  “Hey, I was only showing him what he needed. Sometimes us alpha wolves need a hard knock to see more clearly,” Niall said.

  “Yeah, well sometimes you alpha wolves also need a blanket for when you sleep on the couch as well.” She turned and slammed out of his office.

  Niall looked up at the ceiling. “Yep, I’m pretty much gonna be on the couch if that one speaks to Alaina before I do. Although, I do have a way of persuading my mate, but I’m gonna need a sitter.”

  Torq lifted his hand that held a bloody tissue. “Don’t look at me. I got a female to check on up at Mystic Lodge. You got any info on this manager?” An unpleasant feeling was unfurling in his gut. One he didn’t like even a little.

  “He came highly recommended and the other employees seem to get along with him. Revenue is up since he took over. That’s all I care about.” Niall tapped his head. “You alright?”

  “It’ll take a lot more than a little mind fuck from my alpha to do damage to this noggin.” Torq turned and walked out the door. He’d respected the hell out of Niall before; now, he truly had more to respect the man for. He’d survived a living hell no man, shifter, or other should have to and came out the other side with his soul and heart still whole. Torq didn’t know if he was quite as strong as the alpha of the Mystic Wolves, but he’d damn sure try to be strong enough for Talia, the Fey who’d claimed his wolf and him all those months ago.

  Chapter Two

  “Thank you for this opportunity,” Talia said, keeping her hands neatly folded in front of her. She still wasn’t comfortable touching men just yet, but she would be one day; she promised herself. After weeks under Belle, the fierce dragon’s tutelage, she was as prepared as she could be. Well, maybe she could’ve stayed and learned more, like another hundred years. However, she was over three centuries now. The thought of wasting more time made her angry all over again and wish she could kill her—Nope, she’s not going to think of the vile man who’d taken so much from her.

  “We’re glad to have you. From your paperwork, it looks like you’ll fit right in. Now, let me have my office manager give you a tour. I’ve a conference call in five minutes. It’ll take at least a half hour for you to see the property. Of course, I don’t expect you to memorize every nook and cranny right away, but as the front desk manager, you’ll need to learn it. There’s maps for you to use as a guide as well.” He held his finger up when the phone on the large, cherry wood desk rang.

  Talia took the time to study him as he moved back around until he sat in the huge leather chair. Dave Wise had dark hair with a few streaks of silver at the temples. If she had to guess, she’d say he was in his mid forties. He was handsome in a GQ kind of way. His suit looked like it was tailormade, not one of those off the rack discount bought ones, but a four figure designer number.

  Having been held in a dungeon by a psycho, she’d only b
een able to leave through her memories, which consisted of magazines she’d read before falling victim to the man she’d thought was her mate. She closed her eyes and breathed slowly, pushing the memories away. Her eyes met cold grey ones staring back at her. “I’m sorry, did you say something?” she asked, wondering if she’d messed up.

  Dave Wise shook his head. “I asked if you had any questions?”

  She took a deep breath, letting her Fey abilities filter through the different scents like Belle had told her to do. The manager’s strong cologne was a little off putting. “You said there was lodging for the fulltime employees? Will I be living with others, or do I get my own space?” Goddess, she didn’t think she could keep up the façade of being human twenty-four seven.

  He leaned back, folding his hands over his flat stomach. “Each manager has their own small cabin. It’s nothing fancy, but has its own small kitchen, bathroom, living space, and bedroom. Are you used to—more?”

  Talia wanted to laugh. The five by twelve iron cage she’d lived in for over twenty years was most certainly not, in his words, more. However, on the Fey Realm, before she’d been so naïve, yes, she’d been used to much more. Now, she wanted normal. She wanted freedom. But most of all—she wanted to find herself. “No, I just wanted to be prepared. I’m not used to sharing space with others.” Which was true. Although there were other captives in cells next to her, they’d been separated by mystical wards and thick walls. Yes, they could sometimes speak to one another, but that was few and far between.

  A gleam lit his grey eyes, but then it was gone. Surely a trick of the late sun coming through the huge floor to ceiling windows. He smelled human, something even Keith hadn’t all those years been able to do. No, she was being paranoid. With her newfound strength, she sat taller. “When do you want me to start?”

  “Let me call the front and have someone show you to your cabin, then you can organize the delivery of your personal belongings, after the tour, of course.” He looked at his watch. “I have a meeting in fifteen minutes, and since this is Wednesday, the weekend is going to be busy with the holiday. Do you think you’re ready to start on Friday?”

  Truth be told, she wasn’t sure of anything, but she wouldn’t admit that to this man, or anyone. Being only twenty miles from both her girls gave her a chance to be involved in their lives, yet far enough away she didn’t feel the oppressing weight of the memory of the man who’d done such vile things in order to gain power. “Friday will be perfect. I’ll find my way back to the front. Who should I ask for?” There had been a couple other employees wearing sport jackets with the Mystic Lodge logo emblazoned on the lapel. She hoped it would be the younger female as she seemed less threatening than the older man who had a constant frown on his face.

  “Look for Louisa. She’s about your age and is the concierge. She knows everything there is to know about Mystic Lodge.”

  She wondered why the other woman hadn’t been given the position Talia had, but held her tongue. “Thank you again for this opportunity. I look forward to working for Mystic Lodge.”

  “We look forward to having you as part of the team, Talia.”

  The way he said team sent a shiver down her spine. She got up but didn’t extend her hand for him to shake. When he stood and came around the desk, he tried to loom over her, but the days of men using their size were over as far as she was concerned. Meeting his eye, she nodded. “I’ll see you around then.” She turned on her heel, walking out the door with her shoulders back and head high. If Belle were there, she’d be giving her a high-five and offering to take her flying.

  “Oh and, Talia, I’ll see you bright and early on Friday. We have a manager and team leads meeting every Friday morning at seven a.m.”

  Goosebumps rose on her arms at his closeness. Again, she suppressed the shiver, glancing over her shoulder. “Fabulous, see you then.”

  It didn’t take her long to find Louisa, the young human. As the concierge, she had to be present, yet she also had an office outside the managers’. Talia looked at the other woman’s desk, noticing how neat and tidy she kept things. Louisa definitely appeared to like things in order, even her cabinets were labeled. Talia hoped that was a good sign, she too needed things to be organized. If things were where they should be, you didn’t lose them as much.

  “Can I help you?” Louisa asked.

  Talia walked forward. “Hi, I’m the new assistant manager. Mr. Wise told me to come see you. He said you know everything there is to know about the lodge.” She held her hand out, waiting for only a moment before a sunny smile spread over Louisa’s face.

  “Welcome to the jungle, Talia. Have you been assigned a cabin yet?” The short, curvy woman came around her desk, smoothing down her skirt.

  “Yes, it’s in my welcome package, but I haven’t been there. I came here first for a tour.” She looked past Louisa into the open doorway on one side, and then noticed the closed door on the other.

  “This is your office, and that one is Al’s. He’s not in today, or the rest of the week, which is a real bugger since it’s a holiday weekend. Hopefully you’re a fast learner. Basically, I’ll handle everything. You’ll just follow my lead if we have any problems.” Louisa patted her hand, her tone authoritative.

  “I’m a very fast learner, and I’ve lots of experience in handling issues. I’m sure I can handle, with the help of you of course, whatever comes up this weekend.” Talia wasn’t going to start off by allowing this young female to run all over her as if she were an idiot. Belle had told her to start as she meant to go on. Well, she meant to go on as a woman in charge, not a scared female.

  Louisa raised perfectly arched blonde brows. “Well, alright then. Would you like me to show you around your office?”

  The clear challenge couldn’t be mistaken. Louisa was staking a claim, but Talia didn’t want to make an enemy on her first day. “Absolutely, I’ll certainly need all the help I can get to become acquainted with how things are run around here.” The small fib rolled off her tongue. For a Fey, it’d only take her a matter of minutes and a chance to focus, digging into the roots of the soil and she’d know everything she needed about the grounds and its inhabitants. There’d be no nook or cranny she wouldn’t be aware of.

  “I’m sure Mr. Wise informed you of the mandatory staff meetings?”

  Talia nodded, half listening as she took in the small office. The large picture window drew her gaze with the huge trees in the background, beckoning her.

  “It’s a beautiful view,” Louisa remarked, a tinge of envy in her tone.

  She turned to face the other woman. “Did you want this position?” Take the bull by the horns was her new motto, even though Louisa was a female.

  The other woman shrugged. “I didn’t apply.”

  Her non-answer was more than enough to let Talia know she did indeed want the position. Well, Talia didn’t plan to be here forever. Once she had her life straightened out, she’d move on.

  Torq left Niall’s office, the bloody tissue a stark reminder that the other man had suffered what no shifter ever should. The thought of Talia being taken away from him, forever, had him moving across the parking lot to his Harley. Digging his hand into his front pocket, he pulled the keys out. Once he settled himself on the seat, he twisted the key in the ignition. The newer models had a fob, but he enjoyed the older Harleys. The 2009 Night Train Harley had custom ape hangers, rumbling like a beast as he pulled onto the road. Thoughts of the last time he’d seen Talia nearly had him laying the bike down on its side.

  He pushed his mind away from the past and focused on the present. First and foremost, he needed to keep his shit together and not scare his mate. Talia had been locked away in a cage for over twenty years, had suffered at the hands of a man who’d claimed to be her mate. For all he knew, she hated all men. His wolf howled in his head, denying the possibility.

  The long winding road up was usually one he enjoyed, but not this time. He wished he had the powers of the Fey and could blin
k himself there. Hell, if he’d been in the right state of mind, he’d have shifted. However, she may hate the sight of shifters since Keith, the man who had forced a mating on her was one himself. Or rather, he’d been one before he’d been killed. If Torq could, he’d go back and challenge the bastard.

  The sound of an oncoming car had him pulling his mind back to the road. A large SUV with blacked out windows rushed past him. His wolf snarled inside him, clawing at him from the inside out. “Fuck, calm the hell down,” he growled, the tone of his voice sounding more wolf that normal. His brother Arynn was the Omega of the Iron Wolves, while he was an enforcer for the Mystic. Their entire family had a connection to those around them, making them more in tune to the emotional needs of the pack.

  When Torq had first felt the pull to come to the Mystic Pack, just a few hours from the Iron Wolves, he couldn’t explain the draw. The emotions that had bombarded him when he’d arrived was nothing out of the ordinary. He’d searched the members, scenting the unmated females for one who called to his wolf, but had found nothing that made the surly animal wake up and say Mine. Not until he’d been part of the mission that had went into the compound to help another member, Jett Tremaine and his mate Taryn, find her mother, or at least answers. He’d known as soon as he’d stepped foot inside the concrete building his mate was near. What he hadn’t expected was the emaciated female, who smelled like honey and wild flowers, to be that woman, and also be Taryn’s mother. A Fey who’d been tortured for years.

  His grip on the handle bars tightened, making the bike shoot forward. Goddess, even half starved and terrified, Talia was the most gorgeous female he’d ever set eyes on. His wolf had snarled at him, wanting to claim her there and then, but the wariness in her luminescent blue eyes kept his dominance in check. Torq had thought he’d have time to woo her, show her not all men were like the fucker who...he shut down the train of thought, knowing he’d be a growly bastard if he didn’t.