Prologue
Radley Whiteclaw stared at the three wolf pups behind the fae bastard currently looking at him as if he were nothing more than scum. Radley was an alpha, had earned his right for respect, but this fae, Graeme Snapdragon, didn’t seem to think the same as he did. There would always be species who thought themselves better than others. There were those who thought the werewolves nothing better than animals. They didn’t realize the strength that came with embracing the wild.
“You would barter the lives of children?” Radley growled, his voice low with threat. The three wolf cubs had already been through unspeakable trauma, would likely suffer with night terrors for the rest of their days after the ordeal they’d been through, and here was Snapdragon, using the situation to his advantage.
“A favor is a favor,” Graeme Snapdragon replied. His voice lacked any emotion at all, as if this were a transaction and nothing more. That’s all this was to him. A
transaction. The fae had no honor.
“They’re children,” Radley tried again. “Children who have been through enough without you attempting to call in favors for them later in life. They’ve already suffered at the hands of your kind.”
Snapdragon tensed at the venom in those words, at the clear hatred, but he didn’t comment on it. Fierce vibrant eyes, eyes too pretty in a too pretty face, blinked slowly at me, not daring to admit that it was a fae who stole the children while they slept, not willing to admit that he’d lost control of one of his own.
“Regardless of the events, I stepped in and took care of the problem. Unless you would rather me take the children back to my home in payment, a favor is owed. I care not where it comes from.”
“If anything, you should owe them a favor. After all, it was your creature who stole them,” Radley spit.
Hard eyes met his. “I could always just keep the children, alpha. I’d be within the law to do so.”
Radley stiffened and glanced over his shoulder at the mother standing tense, her bloodshot eyes focused on the three cubs wrapped around each other behind the fae in terror. She’d been distraught when she’d woken to find her babies gone, when she’d realized she’d been unable to attack because of a sleeping powder the fae had blown in her face. She’d been through enough and Radley wouldn’t allow her to owe this fae anything. As part of his pack, she and her children were his responsibility and he’d failed them. There should have been better protections in place against fae who thought to do harm to those more vulnerable.
Radley looked back at Snapdragon, took in his relaxed stance, as if this were nothing more than business as usual. He supposed, for him, it was. The fae were notorious for making deals and keeping books full of favors owed, even calling in favors to a family long after the one who made the deal was dust. This was nothing more than a deal to him, a way to have a wolf in his Doom Book. Scowling, Radley placed his hand on his chest.
“I take on the responsibility of the favor owed to the fae for rescuing the three wolf pups of the Northeastern Chesapeake Clan. A single favor will be owed to the Snapdragon family, and once the debt is paid, I’ll be free.” The tiny zing of power along his shoulder blades nearly made him tense, but Radley instead stared at Snapdragon, unflinching. “Now, release the cubs,” he demanded, eyes hard on the fae who dared to barter with children’s lives. Radley hoped one day he could barter with the life of the fae before him, or someone he cared about. It would only be fair, and when he was distraught, Radley would remind the fae that a favor is a favor.
Snapdragon waved his hand toward the fae surrounding the pups and they stepped back, allowing the pups to dart through toward their mother. The she-wolf threw herself forward and sunk to her knees before them, her relieved sobs reaching Radley’s ears and pulling at his heart strings. Snapdragon had no reaction. Of course, he didn’t. The fae had no emotions at all. They were all cold, heartless monsters.
“Your favor is accepted and will be called upon when needed,” Snapdragon rattled off before turning away.
“I hope the stain on your soul outweighs the one on your suit jacket,” Radley spit, barely keeping himself from vibrating with rage.
Snapdragon glanced down at his lapel but there was no stain there, not apparent to most eyes, but Radley had wolf senses. He could smell the stain of food, could see the barest outline where it had plopped on the white suit before Snapdragon had instructed someone to remove it. When he seemingly saw nothing, he glanced over his shoulder at Radley.
“I have no soul, alpha. I’ll be seeing you.” And then the head of the Snapdragon family walked away, as if he hadn’t just handed over children traumatized by his people.
“Fucking fae,” Radley breathed, not loud enough for anyone to hear but a curse upon the fae none-the-less. If it ever came time for Snapdragon to call in that favor, Radley would do everything in his power to get back at him for the insult, for daring to threaten to keep the children when the mother was right there begging for her children’s lives.
“Thank you, alpha,” the female sobbed as she held her distraught children close. “I can repay you—”
“That won’t be necessary, Sila. It was my responsibility and I’d do so again.” Knelling down before her, Radley touched her shoulder before touching each of the strong cubs. “They’ll be great wolves one day. Look how brave they were.”
The fae had been one step away from skinning the pups to use their pelts. Monsters were alive and well in every species, even humans, but evil fae were far more dangerous than most. That fae no longer lived thankfully, Snapdragon taking care of that, but the threat that more fae could decide to do the same drove Radley forward.
“Thank you, alpha,” Sila croaked, bowing her head.