Finding Shadow BOOK ONE

It took all her patience not to gouge the stupid girl's eyes out, and it didn't even matter that Isabella was her sister. There was only so much "Shadow" talk that Camille could take.

In fact, yesterday before papa had called, she even made a sneaky trip to the local witches' house, where she was met by a young wizard who listened patiently as she told him of her wretched younger sister and the mate bond that was hindering her own plans to become Luna.

Finally, Camille had come right out and stated that she wanted to purchase a bond-breaking potion strong enough to dissolve a fated bond.

The young wizard told her he knew just the thing, and with a flick of his wrist, a small vial had appeared.

It was now tucked away in her personal safe, just in case Papa's plan failed.

"Camille, do you know when my family will visit?"

'Oh, Selene, please grant me the patience to deal with this dimwit!'

Placing a plastic smile on her face, Isabella's older sister replied, "Oh hon, I think they'll be in later this morning before the doc releases you to go home. I'm really gonna miss you, Izzy."

Isabella pulled the older girl in for a hug, not noticing the stiff set of her shoulders as Camille forced herself to endure the embrace. Pulling away after the appropriate amount of time, she regarded Isabella with cool eyes, "You know, I hope I'm not being offensive, but the Alpha left a really big scar on your throat. I can't help but stare at it...but I guess makeup can cover it up, mostly anyway."

Camille watched with a small satisfied smile as Isabella's hands flew to her throat, the bandages only having been removed late last evening.

" But Shadow said he could hardly notice it?" Isabella's worried voice whispered, and Camille went in for the kill.

"Well, of course, he would say that hon, you're his mate, he wouldn't want to hurt your feelings, but take it from someone who was around for the man's teenage years, Alpha Shadow had a revolving door of beautiful she-wolves throwing themselves at him, and he would pick up on any imperfection. They never lasted long,"

Camille faked a gasp of shock, placing her hand over her mouth, as if she had said too much, before she rammed it home, "I'm sure it's different for his mate hon, don't worry your pretty little head about it."

This time it was Camille who pulled the younger woman in for a hug, hiding her victorious grin in.

2.

Shadow found the note as he sat down at his desk. He had only dropped by briefly to collect the minutes for this evening's council meeting before going to visit Isabella. But the black envelope propped up against his coffee cup grabbed his attention.

A cursory sniff revealed no obvious scent or threat, and the letter was addressed to him in neat cursive, so he ripped the seal off and began to read.

Attention Alpha Shadow Stalker.

Your days at the helm of your father's pack are numbered. You have been watched, you have been measured, and you have been found sadly lacking the skills needed to lead the Howling Warriors. I intend to challenge you and reclaim the pack I was promised. You have seven days to leave willingly without bloodshed, but on the eighth day, if you remain to accept my challenge, I will paint the battleground red with your blood, just like I did to your mother.

The page fell from his numb fingers to the desk as Shadow tried to comprehend what he'd just read, his mother's killer, after all these years.

Despite the pack's intelligence best efforts, they never found the reason for the rogue attack eight years ago. It was too well planned to be a random act of violence. The rogues were organized and hit in small, efficient groups, taking down the scouts and targeting the Alpha and Beta houses first. It was a classic war strategy used by combat veterans, not a bunch of random wolves who suddenly decided to band together and attempt to take over one of the biggest packs in America.

A knock on his door almost had the rattled Alpha phasing, but he managed to control his wolf, instead, muttering, "Come in."

An old familiar face peered around the door, and Shadow jumped up, striding around the desk to envelop his visitor in a big bear hug, hoisting the shorter man clear off his feet.

"Beta Santos, I had no idea you were coming. What a wonderful surprise, does Bella know?"

It was like stepping back in time seeing the old Beta back in the Alpha's office. There many times in Shadow's childhood that he had walked into this very office and found his father and Santos drinking whisky and arguing over pack politics.

His father had trusted Santos with his life, and Shadow wondered if he should confide in the older man about the letter he had received. After all, as his mate, it ultimately concerned Isabella as well and Santos was her papa.

With eyes like a hawk, the older man zeroed in on the black paper, taking the choice away entirely, "What's this?" Santos asked, picking the letter up.

I guess old habits die hard...

"Read it. I found it lying there when I came in."

It took less than thirty seconds for Santos to skim through the contents, and his brown eyes nailed Shadow to the wall as he asked, "What are you going to do about it?"

Maria was halfway up the stairs when she heard them yelling, both wolves were riled up, and Tempest urged her human to hurry.

Throwing caution to the wind, Maria phased into her wolf, lurching up the rest of the stairs and gripping her claws into the wooden floors, using the traction it provided to gain momentum as she threw her tawny body at the study door,

It splintered off its hinges as the Beta female went sailing through, landing in between the two posturing males, startling them into silence as she stood there snarling, hackles up in warning.

Santos was stunned into silence at the sight of his mate. Shadow didn't have the same problem.

"SHIFT!" He commanded, Alpha authority seeping from every pore, and Maria found herself on the ground naked, neck bared in submission as Tempest's bravado completely deserted her. The wolf curled up in a ball in the back of her mind, leaving Maria to shoulder the blame on her own.

Santos had the decency to grab a blanket off a nearby couch and throw it over his mate, giving her back her dignity, and Shadow stood glaring at her, waiting for an explanation.

Slowly Maria got to her feet, her rusty hair flowing freely, adding extra modesty as she thought for a minute on how to frame her sentence, so she wouldn't poke a stick at the already inflamed situation.

"Sorry, Alpha, I thought my mate was in danger, and my instinct was to protect him. I mean no disrespect."

Apparently, it was the right thing to say because, after muttering something that sounded suspiciously like, "I need some air."

Shadow grabbed the letter off his desk and walked through the splintered remains of his door, leaving the Beta couple to it.