Queen Alpha (NYC Mecca #2)(53)

The intensity and bristling anger he was exuding actually had the hairs on my body standing up. I didn’t fear much, but right now Kade was all kinds of scary. He was holding my gaze with ferocity.

“What do you do to them?” I murmured, needing to know.

He leaned closer, his warmth and scent everywhere. “My bear takes them apart, piece by piece, and enjoys every second of it.”

The urge to jump him then and there slammed through my body; my lower half clenched in need. I wasn’t a shifter who had ever wanted to be protected by a man – I was expected to do the protecting, alphas and heirs were the strongest – but from Kade it didn’t seem to take from my power. It felt like it built me up. We were a team and it made us stronger.

Before I could open my mouth and let all the emotions leak out, I noticed a beautiful female walking toward us. She was in full battle gear, all black leather and chain mail and holding a sickle that looked like it still had dried fae blood on it. Her skin was the color of caramel and her natural dark curly hair whipped back and forth in the wind. She was stunning, moving with the speed and grace of a shifter. But not wolf.

Kade followed my gaze, and we both watched as the female’s long strides ate up the distance between her and our cart in moments. “My king?” she said, her brow creasing.

Kade exited the golf cart and approached her, placing a hand on her shoulder for a brief moment. “All is well, Trixie, but I need you to tell me the truth now.”

She swallowed hard as if she knew she was about to be in trouble. “Yes?”

Calista and I exited also, stopping near Kade. Finn stayed in the golf cart, staring at the ocean. My familiar loved the ocean more than I did; it was a commonality he shared with Violet.

Kade’s fierce expression darkened more, if that was even possible. “I know that some bears have been going to Manhattan to Baladar’s club nights. I know you’ve been at the club, and now I need to know where the vortex is. I will not punish you if you tell me where to find it.”

Her eyes widened and I could hear her heart hammering in her chest. It was clear that Kade knew she was the partying type and would have the answers he sought.

“Y-Your Highness,” she stuttered. “I’m so sorry for keeping it from you. We figured it was innocent and—”

“Trixie, I don’t care about what you’ve done. I have much bigger fae to fry. Just tell me where it is.”

She chewed her bottom lip. “On the corner of Tennyson and Nelson, under the green bench.”

Kade and I exchanged a single glance; he looked satisfied. Probably glad he didn’t have to break any bones to get that information.

“Thank you,” I said to Trixie, even though my wolf was growling inside, trying to force the change on me. She kinda wanted to rip this bear shifter’s head from her shoulders for keeping information of an illegal vortex from her king. I also knew my wolf would be jealous of any female, even Calista, until we were properly mated and she had staked her claim on him.

“Are you going to shut it down?” Trixie asked Kade, and I could see her guilt. She knew she’d sold out Baladar and her friends, but she’d had no choice. When your king asks you for something, you give it to him.

“I’m going to use it,” Kade said.

Trixie’s brows furrowed, and she moved even closer, which really annoyed my wolf. “The vortex? When?”

Kade gave her a look that said he didn’t like being questioned. She hurried on to explain: “I ask because the vortex only works on Wednesday nights after 9pm.”

Crap! It was Saturday. I couldn’t sit on my butt for four days while Violet endured gods-knew-what in the fae lands at the hands of our enemy.

Kade reached out and ran a gentle hand from the base of my spine up to the nape of my neck, his touch both soothing and frustrating. Growls were actually rumbling my chest now. I was losing the battle with keeping my wolf contained.

“Thank you,” he said to Trixie. She bowed deeply and walked back to her station. I caught a few curious glances over her shoulder at me, but for the most part she remained professional.

“We’ll find another way,” Kade said as he turned to me.

I knew there was no other way without causing a war. I had played mecca chess enough to know that Selene would see any act of entering Manhattan as an assassination attempt. I was banned, and in her eyes Kade was the enemy.

It was a heavy silence as we walked back to the golf cart and I sank into my seat. “Four days. Violet could be anywhere by then.”

Calista spoke up suddenly: “Didn’t you tell me that time worked differently over there?”

I perked up. “Yes!” I turned to face her with a little hope in my heart. The Summer Court prince had told me he could buy me a few weeks in his time, which was a few seasons here. So four days here was probably only a day over there.

“Okay, Wednesday we get Violet back,” I said.

Hang on, Vi. I’m coming for you.



Later that night I found myself at the grand dining table with Kade. We were back on Staten Island, and it was a relief to feel the mecca around me again. The council definitely had not separated me from it, although the dulling of the connection was there. I wasn’t sure they could ever fully separate me from it now; it felt like it was permanently part of me. Like Calista said, until death.