Illusions of the Opal Wolf: A Freedom Valley Novel, page 1
ILLUSIONS OF THE OPAL WOLF
A FREEDOM VALLEY NOVEL
SAMARA SAWARD
Copyright © 2022 Samara Saward
All rights reserved.
This book or parts thereof may not be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without prior written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a review.
This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is purely coincidental.
Cover designed by: GetCovers
CONTENTS
Copyright © 2022 Samara Saward
CHAPTERONE
CHAPTERTWO
CHAPTERTHREE
CHAPTERFOUR
CHAPTERFIVE
CHAPTERSIX
CHAPTERSEVEN
CHAPTEREIGHT
CHAPTERNINE
CHAPTERTEN
CHAPTERELEVEN
CHAPTERTWELVE
CHAPTERTHIRTEEN
CHAPTERFOURTEEN
CHAPTERFIFTEEN
CHAPTERSEVENTEEN
CHAPTEREIGHTEEN
CHAPTERNINETEEN
CHAPTERTWENTY
CHAPTERTWENTY-ONE
CHAPTERTWENTY-TWO
CHAPTERTWENTY-THREE
CHAPTERTWENTY-FOUR
CHAPTERTWENTY-FIVE
CHAPTERTWENTY-SIX
CHAPTERTWENTY-SEVEN
CHAPTERTWENTY-EIGHT
CHAPTERTWENTY-NINE
CHAPTERTHIRTY
CHAPTERTHIRTY-ONE
CHAPTERTHIRTY-TWO
CHAPTERTHIRTY-THREE
CHAPTERTHIRTY-FOUR
CHAPTERTHIRTY-FIVE
CHAPTERTHIRTY-SIX
CHAPTERTHIRTY-SEVEN
CHAPTERTHIRTY-EIGHT
CHAPTERTHIRTY-NINE
CHAPTERFORTY
SPECIALTHANKS
For Mum and Dad,
my biggest supporters.
CHAPTERONE
My voice conveys my confusion when I ask, “Kyle? What are you doing here?”
In a nervous gesture, he adjusts his worn black beanie with shaking hands. His hazel eyes dart between the seven of us before clashing with my own. I narrow my steel-grays at him in return.
I can sense the eyes of my parents, Callista, Sadie, and Matt on me. They’re probably wondering how I know Kyle, and what the hell he’s doing in Wolves Landing. Their curiosity has nothing on mine; I’d like to hear some answers too.
How is he here in Gabe’s backyard? There only are three scenarios I can think of.
He can’t be human; Gabe would have told the pack if he had allowed humans to access to Freedom Valley—there’s so much risk in socializing with them; we could potentially expose our supernatural secret if we’re not careful around human visitors. Members of other wolf shifter packs can’t get through the magical barrier Callista set around our perimeter. A measure taken to protect us from the likes of Marcus Doyle. I can rule that one out, too. Rogues are welcome in Wolves Landing, so they may seek sanctuary or become a member of the Freedom Valley pack. That’s the only thing that makes sense—Kyle is a rogue.
Gabe must have arrived at the same conclusion I have because he’s glaring at Kyle, his teeth bared in a wolfish sneer. Our bond thrums with protective instinct, anger, and a hint of jealousy.
“How do you know the rogue, Lilly?” Gabe asks through our mate bond.
I’ve known Kyle for months; how did I miss this? I know I am new to the world of shifters and magic, but that doesn’t excuse not knowing something is different about someone I see most days. Especially when that something just happens to be turning into a wolf in their spare time.
My eyebrows furrow at Gabe’s accusatory tone. Does he think that I somehow played a part in Kyle coming here? I fill my lungs to the brim and let the breath out in a slow exhale. I need to remember Gabe is the alpha of the Freedom Valley pack. Strangers entering his territory put his pack, and his family, at risk.
The deep, slow breath helps. With no trace of the conflict and frustration churning through me, I answer my mate. “He was a regular customer at the bookstore I worked at in Billings. I have mentioned him to you. He traced Bree’s phone for me. It’s how I found her… and you. I thought he was human.”
“Um, I haven’t heard from you for a while, Lilly,” says Kyle, cutting off Gabe’s reply. “I was concerned for you after that night in my dorm.”
I flinch back at the insinuation he has made. It sounds like he’s suggesting we were fooling around back home in Billings. That is not what happened. At all. Kyle traced Bree’s phone for me when the police department would do nothing—because they’re in Doyle’s pocket. If it weren’t for Kyle, I would never have found Bree in time.
“I don’t like this punk,” snarls my wolf, Sera in my mind. “He needs to learn some lessons in manners. Shall I teach him what it means to mess with us?”
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: my wolf is feisty. My snorted reply to her earns me a few raised eyebrows. I ignore the curiosity of my friends and family and pacify Sera. “Kyle’s not a threat to us. He wouldn’t harm a fly.” Out loud, I say, “As you can see, Kyle, I’m fi—”
Gabe, who moves to stand in front of me, cuts off my reply. His protective instinct slams into me through th mate bond; he has realized the implication Kyle made. “Clive? Is it?” he asks with a growl.
Gabe knows Kyle helped me find my best friend when Adem Delaney kidnapped her on Halloween. He knows that Kyle and I are nothing more than friends. He also knows that I’ve never fooled around with anyone besides him. His anger at Kyle implying he and I are more than friends is understandable. For a shifter.
“Uh, it’s Kyle… sir,” Kyle replies in a meek voice. He retreats a step, inclines his head, and fidgets with his beanie again, even though it hasn’t moved from when he first adjusted it. He’s feeling what we all do—alpha power.
Although I can feel the power that is radiating off Gabe—a pressure trying to force me to my knees, to submit to a powerful alpha—I’m not cowed by it like everyone else.
Mom and dad have pressed themselves into the cushions of the moon chair they share, eyes downcast. Matt has taken several steps back, head bowed. Sadie and Callista both have their necks bared in submission. I wonder why isn’t Gabe’s power isn’t affecting me like it is everyone else… could it be because I’m his fated mate?
Sera responds to my confusion. “You’re an alpha. The power of another alpha cannot force you into submission. You’re not beneath Gabe, you’re his equal. If not more powerful. However, some weaker alphas would definitely feel the effects of Gabe. Our mate is powerful. It’s hot.”
“We know Gabe is sexy without having to witness this pissing contest,” I say.
I lean forward, place my hand on Gabe’s bicep, and whisper in his ear, “Cut it out. He can’t talk to you when you’re sending out alpha power like a leaking gas tank.”
He spares me a glance before pulling the power back into himself. A collective sigh of relief breaks the tension.
Gabe’s biceps bulge when he crosses his arms over his chest. “I’m Gabe Hutchins. Alpha of the Freedom Valley pack.”
Matt walks forward to stand beside Gabe, his carefully styled blond hair ruffled. As beta, it’s his job to protect the alpha—and the pack—above all else. “State ya reasons for entering pack territ’ry without permission from the alpha,” he says in a thick Australian accent.
“It’s like I said,” says Kyle. “I wanted to see Lilly. I knew she was heading in this direction and decided to check in with her. I thought I could stay here for a while; I’ve recently been exiled from my pack and have nowhere else to go.”
Kyle’s eyes flash with an emotion I can’t place, though I’m leaning towards anger or betrayal. Who wouldn’t be angry at being banished from their pack and forced to go rogue? College finishes up soon, and the dorms will no longer be accessible. He really has nowhere to go.
Gabe’s nostrils flare; he’s scenting the air, trying to pick up on the stench of a lie. The disgusting odor of rotten eggs is nowhere to be found.
Dad extricates himself from the depths of the moon chair. “What about your parents? Are they still members of your old pack?” he asks.
“My parents can’t help me here,” he replies.
Kyle’s eyes flit between me and Gabe, zeroing in on my hand, which is still resting on the alpha’s bicep. He furrows his brow in a frown and mutters, “You move fast.”
Not only has Kyle implied that he and I were fooling around, now he’s gone and basically called me a slut. Gabe tenses and I tighten my hold on him.
“I’ll tear him limb from limb,” says Sera. “Saving the dangling third leg for last.”
“We’ve talked about your penchant for violence, Sera. Besides, I think Gabe will beat you to it,” I reply.
“What are you trying to say, mongrel?” Gabe says through gritted teeth.
Kyle jerks his chin to my hand on Gabe’s arm. “It’s only been what? A week? Two? And she’s all over you. She was all over me not that long ago,” he says. A slight odor of rotten eggs drifts toward us.
What the hell? I gave him a hug for finding my friend, that hardly counts as being all over him. I snarl at Kyle.
“You’re lying.”
Gabe tugs his arm out of my grip and lunges at Kyle, shifting mid-leap. His clothes are in tatters and scraps of shredded fabric float lazily to the grass, in complete contrast to the tension in the air. There’s a sharp intake of breath from somewhere behind me; Mom or Callista, I guess. I scramble backward, hitting my hip on the corner of the outdoor table. I hiss a breath at the stabbing pain.
A deep growl rumbles in the chest of Gabe’s wolf, Akoda, and the hackles of his golden-brown fur stand erect. He stalks toward Kyle, snapping pointed fangs at his retreating feet.
Kyle backs away, his wild eyes searching the yard for help; no one will come to his aid. They know better than to get between a protective mate and his prey.
“What’s your problem, man? She can touch whoever she wants,” Kyle says.
It’s the last straw. Akoda lunges, snapping his teeth and snarling in his fury. He pins Kyle to the ground with one huge paw on his chest.
CHAPTERTWO
It’s like my two worlds have collided. Old versus new. Human against supernatural. I’m so absorbed in what’s happening, it takes me a couple of minutes to realize Matt is trying to get my attention. I incline my head toward him, not wanting to take my eyes off Gabe and Kyle.
“Gabe’s as mad as a cut snake, darl. He’ll do somethin’ he regrets if ya don’t step in,” he says.
Eyes wide, I whip my head in his direction. “You want me to get in the middle of that?” I wave my arm at Akoda, who has Kyle pinned down by the throat. “I’ll be torn to shreds.”
“As a human, ya would, yeah. But ya wolf won’t. Gabe’s wolf would never hurt his mate,” he says, his blue eyes shining with truth.
Sera’s voice rings through my mind. “That man talks funny, but he’s right; Akoda won’t hurt us. Unless you want Kyle dead?”
“He talks funny because he’s Australian. And no, Kyle doesn’t deserve this,” I tell her.
“I’m not so sure about that,” Sera growls.
I ignore her and focus on my mate. “Gabe?” I ask through our bond, getting nothing in return.
I feel for our bond, buried deep within my soul. Sifting through my own emotions and memories, I find my link to Gabe; a bright, strong thread linking my soul to his. I imagine a knot in that thread, and visualize it coming undone, straightening and strengthening. When that’s done, I’m bombarded with all things Gabe; images of spring-green eyes, the softness of his long, golden-brown hair, his scent of wood-smoke and sandalwood, and the sound of guitar strings being idly plucked.
I push all of that aside, searching for his emotions, assessing what he’s feeling—fury, protection, and a strong need for revenge. It’s clear that Akoda has taken full control. I doubt he’d listen to anyone other than Sera now.
There’s no time for embarrassment or modesty. No one here cares much about seeing me naked, anyway—nudity is a given with the shifter life. I strip off my clothes, earning myself a snarl of fury from Akoda. He has Kyle by the neck, dragging him further away from Gabe’s cabin. I hasten my pace, not wanting to give the enormous wolf more ammunition against Kyle.
It takes less than a minute to complete the shift. I barely notice the tickling of fur growing through my skin or the ache in my gums from my canines elongating, let alone the pain from bones snapping and reforming into the body of a wolf.
I catch a glimpse of shimmering silver fur in the windows of the French doors as I trot toward my mate. My wolf’s coat is beautiful, like a bright full moon.
“Be careful,” Mom whispers as I pass her. I lick her hand in reply.
“Gabe?” I try when we reach him, again to no response. Kyle’s eyes flick from me to Akoda and back again, pleading with me to help him.
“What’s he waiting for? Why is he just holding him by the neck?” I ask Sera.
“He’s waiting for Kyle to yield. Let me handle this,” she says. She takes the reins; I’m no longer in control of our body, just a passenger along for the ride. It’s a strange feeling; the thoughts are there commanding my body to move, but nothing happens.
Sera closes the distance between us and where Akoda has Kyle whimpering in fear.
“Sera? If Kyle’s a wolf, why hasn’t he shifted to defend himself?” I ask.
“I suspect his wolf is weak. Not surprising,” she replies while nudging Akoda’s hind leg.
“Stay back, my mate,” he snarls in response.
Sera growls back at him and moves to stand face-to-face with the wolf. He’s a foot taller than us, and wider by a substantial amount; his size is intimidating, but Sera doesn’t seem to care.
“Listen here, mate. This guy is a dick, and he deserves a good beating, but if you do this—if you kill him—you will hurt Lilly. Goddess knows why, but she’s friends with this loser,” Sera says.
Akoda follows us with his eyes as we circle around him and Kyle. “Besides,” Sera says, pointing to Kyle with her snout, “He hasn’t even shifted. What point will it prove that you overpowered a male with a wolf so weak it won’t even defend its human?”
Akoda huffs, his eyes searching mine. “My mate is right,” he says, eventually.
Akoda releases Kyle’s neck—who scrambles backward before getting to his feet—and takes a step back. I feel it through the mate bond when he releases control back to Gabe; regret, frustration, and anger rush through, replacing the natural instincts of the wolf. A faint shimmer surrounds him, and then Gabe is standing in front of me.
He cups the side of my face and presses a kiss to my forehead before looking to Kyle, “Speak ill of my mate again, and I’ll have you neutered,” he says through gritted teeth.
My eyes zero in on four puncture marks on his neck as Kyle holds his hands up, palms toward Gabe. “Sorry, man. I didn’t know.”
“Mated or not, you should never talk about a woman like that. Antagonizing a newly mated alpha? You’re lucky to be alive,” says Dad, running a hand through his light brown hair. Dad hates confrontation. It would have taken a lot for him to say something just now.
“I didn’t know they are mated,” whimpers Kyle.
“Well, you do now. So, keep your mouth shut about Lilly,” Sadie says, crossing her arms over her chest, her dual tone eyes flashing in anger. Her plethora of tattoos and the way her eyes change from green to brown only add to her intimidation factor.
Not wanting to hang around to listen to my friends berate Kyle, I nudge Gabe’s leg and make my way back to the alfresco area to retrieve my clothes. Mom stops me at the door to say she has had enough entertainment for the night and Dad is taking her home to turn in. I don’t blame her, Kyle showing up and Gabe threatening to tear out his throat sure has put a dampener on the evening.
As I make my way through the house, I try to understand why Kyle would act like that. He’s usually quiet and reserved. Maybe it has something to do with the crush he has on me. But even that makes little sense. It’s not enough to make him act like a typical high school jock. There’s something else, I can feel it.
In the master suite upstairs, I shift back to my human body, rejoicing in having only two legs to navigate again. I grab Gabe’s bathrobe from the hook inside the walk-in closet. He enters as I’m tying the cord around my waist.
“Everyone’s gone home. That Kurt guy is settling into the spare room,” he says, placing his guitar on its stand in the corner. Sera snorts at Gabe getting Kyle’s name wrong.
“His name is Kyle,” I mutter.
“Whatever.” He lifts a shoulder with indifference. “I told him he could stay here. That way, I can keep a close eye on him.”
“That’s a good idea. There’s something off about him,” I say.
He scrunches his eyebrows in confusion. “What do you mean?”
“He’s never acted like that before. Usually, he barely says a word. I’ve never seen him so outspoken or opinionated. I don’t know, he just didn’t seem like himself,” I say.
“Well, I don’t trust him,” he says. He moves to the ensuite and squeezes toothpaste onto his electric toothbrush. “How did he know about Wolves Landing? No one knows where it is. Very few people know it even exists. And why can’t his parents help him? Something isn’t adding up with this Kevin guy.”
