Wolf in Sheep's Clothing (Alpha Queen Series Book 1) Read online

  Chapter 1

  Jade’s Diary

  I love my duties as a future Alpha Queen, but it's getting a little lonely. I see my mámá and my pápás and I want the type of love they have. When I was a little girl, I would always ask one of my pápás to tell me the story of how they met mámá before bed every night. I hope one day my child will grow up hearing stories about me and my mates.

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  " Mi hija ,” mámá says. “I need you to do something for me.”

  “Of course, mámá ,” I respond. “What do you need?”

  “Well, two of your pápás are meeting with the packs who support my reign ,” she says. “However, there’s another pack I want you to visit. I grew up with the pack a lpha when I moved to Cooper’s Rock.”

  Mámá isn’t originally from Cooper’s Rock, but her mother is and her mother before her. Her parents weren’t mated to one another, which rarely ever happens for w olf shifters , and she spent a lot of her life in her father’s home country of Perú so she still has a small accent. You see, I’m descended from a line of female wolf shifters destined to rule. Thousands of years ago, my ancestors along with others, were granted with the ability to shift into animals by the Moon Goddess. For a long time, wolf shifters were rule d by the Alpha Queen, a woman with close ties to the Moon Goddess.

  It is told that the Alpha Queens of old had immense power and magic. Over time, the magic running in the royal bloodline began to fade, allowing disloyal members of the Alpha Queen’s council to overthrow her, and break off to form their own packs. Those packs are usually run by men and, if I'm being honest, those packs don't thrive as much as the ones still loyal to the Alpha Queen. I've read pretty much every book in our library on my ancestors that's been written. I've even traveled to Europe and Africa to read the Alpha Queen books in their libraries. I'm actually part of the reason we have the support of those regions. We ’ re slowly but surely reuniting the packs and I couldn't be happier with the work we've accomplished. V isiting a pack for my mámá is no big deal , and I love visiting new places .

  “Of course, I’ll visit a pack for you. Which one?” I ask.

  "Fox Forest," she replies. "I'm pretty sure my childhood friend, Amelia, is ill but I need confirmation . I want you to find out if it’s true, and if so, I need you to make friends with her daughter so we can keep the alliance strong."

  Naturally, she needs me to go solidify an alliance. I'm okay with that. I enjoy traveling and meeting new pack s . I can't be a good leader if I don't listen to every member of my pack. That's something I'm going to instill in my daughter if I ever find my mates. Did I mention I ’m supposed to have three mates? Most people think it's just the outward sign that a female wolf shifter is meant to rule, but a ll Alpha Queens need three mates to balance out the magic in their blood .

  “I’ll go to the F ox Forest pack for you mámá, ” I say. “When do I leave?”

  “I actually need you to leave now. I just have this weird feeling that she’s really sick, and I want you to get there as soon as possible,” she says.

  Mámá has always had these weird feelings when someone is sick or has some type of disease. Personally, I think it’s the small amount of magic that she still possesses as an Alpha Queen because I have a similar ability . I head back to my room and pack for a weeklong trip. If I need more clothes, I can just go shopping in the area. I don’t really care about clothes like that so whatever is comfortable works for me.

  I finish packing and find mámá and Pápá Charles to hug and kiss them goodbye before getting in the car to Fox Forest. I sit in the back of the car while my bodyguard, James, drives me to Fox Forest. There are still some smaller packs who are enemies of the Alpha Queen so I need to take a bodyguard wherever I go until I find my mates. Until then, I’m stuck with James. James is a little older than me, and he’s pretty much destined to be a pack elder once I take over for mámá . He ’s really insightful and would be the perfect advisor for any queen. He looks at me in the rearview and smiles.

  “Have you read up on this pack, Jade?” he asks.

  “Yes, James,” I say sarcastically. “You want me to give you a tutorial?”

  “Yes please,” he responds with a wink. Sometimes I just want to smack that smirk off his face. I know one of my parents put him up to this to make sure I’m ready to represent them properly. They should have more faith in me since I’m always on point when it comes to diplomatic visits. I take my position as heir very seriously.

  “ Mámá and the a lpha female of the Fox Forest pack, Amel ia, grew up together. Her parents wanted to seal an alliance with that pack and agreed to let their daughter live in Cooper's Rock until she was twenty-one . She's kept in touch since she took over for her parents and her pack has always supported the Alpha Queen. She has a son and a daughter, and her daughter is supposed to take over the Fox Forest pack whenever she steps down or goes to final judgment with the Moon Goddess," I recite from the file I was given.

  “Fox forest is one of the packs known for having fox shifters, as well as wolf shifters in their pack. In fact, their Alpha’s mate was a fox shifter who was killed by hunters. The daughter is a fox shifter, while the son is a wolf shifter, which is unusual,” James adds.

  “How do you know that?” I ask because that definitely wasn’t in the file.

  “I know the son, Marcus, and his best friend Ryan. We served in the military together,” James says.

  “That’s cool,” I say. “So, he’s not some stuck-up pampered prince like some pack a lpha’s sons?”

  “Hell no,” says James and then he chuckles “He was like that at first, but the military quickly beat that sense of entitlement out of him. He would actually make a really great pack leader if his sister wasn’t going to run the pack.”

  Huh. Maybe I could actually form some real friendships on this trip. Most pack a lpha's children are stuck - up brats, and I always have to fake getting along with them . I t ’s refreshing to know I may get along with this alpha’s kids . I look out the window and watch the forest pass by and close my eyes. As I look at the trees, I imagine running in my wolf form through the woods and doz e off.

  I wake up as we pull into Fox Forest and see the pack a lpha, Ame lia, and her family waiting for us outside their home. Her daughter is a beautiful girl with gorgeous red hair, and I can definitely tell she’s a fox shifter. She also has a glint in her eye, and now understand the phrase sly as a fox. I walk up to the Alpha with my hand held out.

  “Greetings, Alpha of the Fox Forest pack. I’m Jade, daughter of Elena the current reigning Alpha Queen. It’s a pleasure to meet your acquaintance,” I say formally.

  She grabs my hand and pulls me into a hug, “No need to be so formal, honey, I ’ m your goddessmother after all,” she responds.

  Being the goddessmother of a pack pup is a huge responsibility and an important role. It's a sign that the parents trust them to take care of their child like they would. The fact that this woman is the goddessmother of the Alpha Queen says something about her character. I hug her back and realize she's crazy thin. I hold her at arm's length and look at her intensely. Mámá was right, she is sick. She meets my gaze and a sense of understanding comes into her eyes.

  “She already knows, doesn’t she?” she asks. I nod. “I could never get away with keeping big secrets from Elena . She always has a way of knowing...sometimes, even before I know.”

  I chuckle because I know exactly what she’s talking about. I could never get away with anything as a teenager , and believe me, I tried. Mámá has a sixth sense about things.
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  “Come, Jade,” she says. “Meet my children. I’m not sure how long you plan to stay, but our home is open to you. This is my daughter Carrie and my son Marcus. ”

  I turn to her daughter and shake her hand. She doesn't really seem too interested in speaking to me, but that's fine. I get like that too when I ’m lost in thought . I look at her brother, and he's gorgeous. I take a step back and really get a good look at him . He has blonde hair and blue eyes and looks pretty much like a Greek god. I reach out my hand to shake his and feel a jolt of electricity. We pull our hands back and look at each other with wide eyes.

  Holy shit. He’s my mate.

  Chapter 2

  Jade’s Diary

  In a million years, I never would’ve thought that I would meet one of my mates, let alone two. Apparently, Marcus and Ryan grew up together. I’m really lucky that they’re already best friends and pretty much share everything anyway. James says they’re good guys, but only time will tell. I have one more mate out there, and hopefully, he’s as awesome as Marcus and Ryan.

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  We continue to stare at each other until I hear someone’s throat clear behind us. It’s the sister. I can’t remember her name because I’m way too focused on the man standing in front of me.

  “HELLO,” she bellows. “What the hell is going on?”

  “ Carrie ...chill out. She’s my mate,” he says softly. “I’m Marcus .”

  “She’s your WHAT?!” Carrie screams.

  He’s right. We’re mates. The only thing is that I need to explain that I have two other mates somewhere out there, but right now I’m too wrapped up in the fact that I actually found one of my mates . Finding my mate was the reason I was so willing to travel among the packs. It’s rarely done, but if your mate clearly isn’t in your pack then how else are you supposed to find them? Wolf shifters can be so dimwitted sometimes.

  “You’re mates? Congratulations!” his mother yells. “I was so worried that you would be

  alone for the rest of your life, but knowing that you have a mate, I can move on.”

  “Momma , don’t say things like that ,” he growls.

  “So you are sick?” I ask.

  "I am," she responds. "It's cancer. Treatments have been working well so far, but I plan to step down as the pack leader and let my daughter take over within the next six months. That's why I'm glad your mother sent you. There are some things we need to go over in detail before I step down from my position and let Carrie take over."

  “Cancer?” I gasp. “Wolves don’t get cancer.”

  "This wolf does, honey," she sighs. "You know as well as I do that the magic that once ran through our bloodlines has been dwindling over time. Because of that, we're more susceptible to diseases that we were immune to before. For example, cancer."

  I'm stunned. It's unheard of for wolves to get diseases such as cancer and HIV because our cells regenerate quickly and usually kill off the cancerous cells. For a powerful alpha wolf shifter like her to get cancer is a little frightening, and I know my face looks horrified.

  “Let’s head inside, honey. We can talk about everything in detail and you can get settled. I’m so glad to finally have you here. You know, your mother and I talked about letting you grow up here the same way my parents let me live in Cooper’s Rock, but your dads wouldn’t hear of it. You’re their only child , and they wanted you close so I completely understand.”

  She’s right. There’s no way my pápás would’ve let me grow up this far away from home. In hindsight, I would’ve known Marcus was my mate much sooner if I had grown up here instead of Cooper’s Rock . We head into the house and one of the pack enforcers meets us out front.

  “Hey man,” Marcus says. “Can you take Jade’s suitcase upstairs?”

  "No problem," says the enforcer. He reaches for my suitcase and his hand accidentally brushes against mine and I feel another spark . His eyes widen in surprise and he stares at me.

  “Who are you again?” he asks.

  Marcus shoves him from behind. “You’re such an idiot, Ryan. That’s Jade, the future Alpha Queen. Why you gotta be so rude, man?”

  “Oh,” Ryan says. “Well, she’s my mate.”

  “Bullshit,” responds Marcus. “Because she’s my mate.”

  “Actually,” I intercede. “I’m both of your mates.”

  “What the fuck?” snarl s Carrie . “Are you fucking serious?”

  Damn, I think she has a thing for Ryan. Well, this trip seems to be getting more and more interesting by the minute .

  Chapter 3

  Jade’s Diary

  There’s a nearby park, the Monongahela pack, that’s not loyal to the Alpha Queen and they’ve been a problem for Amelia. Apparently, they know she’s sick and they’ve been trying to challenge her for the alpha position so they can expand their pack. The daughter, or Marcus, could fight in her stead since she’s ill but maybe it won’t get that far. Fingers crossed.

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  “You see, all Alpha Queen descendants have three mates and that’s how both of you can be my mate. I have another mate out there somewhere too. He’s probably not too far away if I’ve met you two already. My mámá met all her mates within a week of each other, and it's been like that for as long as people can remember," I say to Marcus and Ryan. "I'm surprised you didn't know any of this since your mother was raised in Cooper's Rock and has close ties to our family."

  “She only really talks about your mom,” Marcus responds. “I mean, we knew that you were descended from the Alpha Queen, but we thought all the other stuff was made up stories for little kids to have something to believe in.”

  “Yea,” says Ryan. “I never thought any of that shit was real. I mean, honestly, who has three mates?”

  “Me apparently,” I say with sarcasm. “As well as my mother, my mother’s mother, and so on. This is normal in my family, and if you want to mate with me, you’ll need to get over the fact that I have two other mates. In fact, I’m luckier than everybody else because I have twice the love and caring as normal wolves.”

  “Whoa,” Ryan says as his eyes widen. “I didn’t mean to insult your family or anything. It’s just something I need to get used to. Besides, Marcus is my best friend, we served in the military together, and if I had to share a mate with anyone then it would be him so I’m not concerned about that. My concern is your third mate. You took us off guard with the whole three mate thing, and you’re lucky that we’re best friends. Who’s to say that your third mate won’t have a problem with us?”

  He’s right. I honestly didn’t even consider that. M ámá and the pápás don't seem like they ever had problems like that, and I assumed my mates and I would get along as they did, but now I'm not so sure. I also feel super guilty for just jumping down Ryan's throat like that.

  “You’re right and I’m sorry,” I whisper.

  He walks over to me and hugs me. This is the first time either one of them has touched me since they discovered we were mates, and it feels good. I lean into him and inhale deeply. He smells wonderful, and I hear someone clear their throat behind me. It’s Carrie , Marcus’s sister, and she has a mean look on her face.

  “How do we even know she’s telling the truth ? ” she sneers. “This could just be a way to trap you into mating her.”

  “Actually,” I interrupt. “I need all three of my mates in order to survive. If I’m gravely injured, I need all three of them to heal. It’s part of my magic. W hy would I lie about something that could be life or death for me? ”

  “Your magic?” she scoffs. “What magic?”

  “I can heal much faster than your typical wolf shifter; however, now that I’ve found my mates, I’ll need all three of them to be around in order to heal completely,” I tell her.

  “So, what if you get hurt and all three of us aren’t around?” Marcus asks before telling his sister to calm down.

  "Th
e best case scenario would be extreme weakness, and the worst-case scenario would be a coma depending on how bad my injuries are. Because of my ties to my mates, I probably won't outlive you once one of you dies," I shrug.

  “Is it like that for all Alpha Queen descendants or just you?” Ryan asks.

  “Just me,” I respond. “M ámá gets feelings about the people she cares about when they’re sick or in danger, and she’s never been wrong. She’s saved her mates lives dozens of times that way. She used to get feelings a lot when I was younger, too. I was a bit of a mischievous child.”

  Ryan and Marcus chuckle at my statement while Carrie still sneer s at me. She must really have it bad for Ryan because she’s staring daggers at me. I need to keep an eye on her because I don’t know how far she’ll go to make sure Ryan and I don’t mate.

  “Well,” says a voice behind us, and I realize Marcus’s mother has been standing there for a while now. “I guess that means you’re staying for dinner too then Ryan.”

  He laughs. "Yes, ma'am."

  “Good. You three can get to know each other and I have something I need to talk to Jade about anyways.” I walk into the kitchen and the smells are wonderful.

  “Who cooked?” I ask.

  “I did,” Ryan answers sheepishly. “It’s a hobby.” He shrugs.

  It’s more than just a hobby if whatever he’s cooking smells that good. I can barely cook Ramen noodles, let alone something that smells like this. This mate thing may work out in my favor after all. Two of my mates are pretty much best friends and one of them even cooks. I couldn’t have asked for anything better. I take a bite of Ryan’s cooking and moan in delight, and when I look, up Ryan and Marcus are staring at me.

  “What’s wrong?” I ask.

  “I need to learn how to cook,” mutters Marcus.

  Ryan begins laughing. “Nothing’s wrong, baby. It’s a compliment that you like my food so much.” I pause . He called me baby! No one’s ever called me baby before, and I like the way he says it.

  "Ok," Marcus's mother interrupts. "Down to business. As you figured out , Jade, I'm pretty sick and I don't know how much time I'll have left with my children; however, some things need to be settled before I feel comfortable passing the leadership of the pack to Carrie ."