Wolf's Claim (The Royal Heir Book 3) Read online

  Wolf’s Claim

  The Royal Heir Trilogy

  Jen L. Grey

  Copyright © 2020 by Jen L. Grey

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Epilogue

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  About the Author

  Also by Jen L. Grey

  Chapter One

  I entered the living room of our new brownstone home and found Kassie, Mona, and Tommy there. "I need to go out and meet Matteo at the restaurant." It was time to give the alpha a heads-up that someone was threatening me here in NYC. The last time it had happened, the vampire prince attacked one of his pack members, and we had to bring the witch, Rose, to heal her.

  A Manhattan map lay in the center of a dark cherry coffee table, and Kassie sat on the beige leather couch, leaning over, examining it like it would reveal some sort of treasure.

  Tommy sat close to her. I was glad they were finally able to put their differences aside. Both he and Kassie rarely got along, having had some sort of rivalry since they had both been tasked with guarding my father, King Corey, prior to his death.

  "There's no way in hell." Kassie's dark amber eyes raised to meet mine. "There is some looney out there, looking for you." Her short black hair managed to bob with her jerky movements.

  "Kassie." Mona stood across from them, right underneath the flat screen. She arched her eyebrows so they were hidden under her blonde bangs as she narrowed her brown eyes. "You know better."

  "I'm not sure if it bothers me worse when you or Tommy does that." Kassie pouted as she glared at Tommy.

  "Hey, I didn't do anything this time." Tommy tugged at his salt and pepper mustache that matched the hair on his head. His dark brown eyes stayed focused on the map as he stretched out his back. "Don't get me involved."

  Mona and Kassie were the reason I didn't die with my parents almost thirteen years ago. My uncle, Darren, had wanted to be king so badly that he killed his own brother and attempted to kill his brother’s family. Little had he know I had been hidden away and survived.

  "You look gorgeous in that dress." Mason walked out of our bedroom in a black suit that molded to his muscles in all the right ways. He was my fated mate and provided the perfect balance I needed. His short, dark hair was a little longer than normal, and his emerald green eyes scanned over me. "The way the red contrasts with your hair is sexy as hell." He walked over to me and pulled me into his hard chest. "Do we have to go? I could think of better ways to spend our time.” His lips captured mine, releasing some of the tension in my shoulders.

  I wish we could. His lips undid me. Hell, looking at him made me feel things, and I hoped that would never change. Images of last night flashed through my mind. He’d done things to me that I never thought possible. Every time was better than the last, and our bond grew stronger with every passing day.

  "If that is a consideration, I say no. Despite the horror it brings to mind telling you this, you should go get it on." Kassie lifted her chin and frowned. "It's not safe outside of this house."

  Now, that I didn’t expect. Mason chuckled as he brushed his lips against mine once more.

  The doorbell rang, causing a wolf howl to fill the entire house.

  Ella descended the stairs from where the other five bedrooms were located and entered the living room. Her blonde hair bounced with each step, and her hazel eyes lit up. "I told you that would make an epic ring. So much better than any other place has."

  "It's kind of annoying." Louis appeared right behind her. Together, they went over and sat on the other section of the L-shaped couch.

  "Let me go grab the door." Mason shook his head and turned toward to the door. "Is anyone expecting someone?"

  "Nope." Ella sat back in the seat and placed her feet on the coffee table.

  "What the hell are you doing?" Kassie reached over and smacked her legs. "This is a map."

  "What?" Ella pointed at the television. "Elena didn’t tell us they were going out, so I had plans to be comfortable and veg out. You can get a new map later."

  "If you weren't the King's sister ..." Kassie growled.

  Tommy pulled out his walkie talkie and shook his head. "My King, one second." He hurried over and pressed the button down. "Anyone know who's out front?"

  There was a pause before a voice got back on the line. "It's ..." He cleared his throat. "It's King Adelmo."

  Well, there go those dinner plans. Louis must have told him where we lived. I turned around and pointed at him. "Why didn't you warn us?" I'd hoped that Louis had taken care of this. He was the Prince of Europe and had submitted to me prior to he and Ella sealing their mate bond. His dad had been calling him when we were trying to save Alec. I figured Louis would eventually talk to him and figure this shit out.

  "I didn't know." His gray eyes landed on the ground.

  "Have you talked to him?" Ella arched an eyebrow and reached over, taking some popcorn out of the bowl he was holding.

  "Not exactly." Louis ran his hands through his medium blond hair and sighed. "I was still thinking about what to say."

  Great, this is going to go over well. I glanced at Mason. Do you mind calling Matteo and letting him know we won't be there?

  Fine, but I'll be right back. He hurried off into the bedroom and shut the door.

  "Ha, here I was thinking I'd miss out on dinner." Ella removed her feet from the table and turned her body in my direction. "But at least, I'm still getting a good show."

  "You can be a real pain in the ass." Her antics always cracked me up, but right now we had more important things to face. "You." I pointed to Louis. "You're going to have to confront him. This isn't on me."

  He huffed and placed the popcorn bowl on the table. “Fine.”

  "For the love of God," Kassie grumbled and lifted the bowl off the table to remove the map. "We'll have to do this another time. Between Ella's nasty feet and the butter from the popcorn, I better move it."

  "My feet aren't dirty." Ella stuck out her tongue at Kassie.

  "Should we let him in?" Tommy glanced in my direction.

  "Yes." I didn't have time for this, but if Louis had been avoiding him for the past several weeks, that wasn’t good. Him doing that was only going to make their disagreement worse. "Let's get this over with."

  "Okay." Tommy walked over to the door and opened it.

  King Adelmo burst through the door, and surprisingly, his gaze didn't land on me. Instead, he scanned the room, obviously looking for his son. "Louis. Get your shit together. You're coming home."

  "No, I'm not." Louis took a deep breath and leveled his eyes on his father. “How did you find out where we were?”

  They looked so similar. The king's hair was a shade lighter than Louis's blond, but the rest of their features resembled each other.

  "That wasn't a question, and I tracked your phone." His father's nostrils flared, and his hands clenched into fists. His tone was laced with alpha
power. "I said we're leaving now."

  "You know that won't work on me anymore." Louis straightened his shoulders and met his dad’s gaze head-on. “You’re not my alpha.”

  Yeah, that’s not helping anything. I wasn't sure what the hell I should do. "King Adelmo ..."

  "Stop." His eyes landed on mine and were full of rage. "You've done more than enough."

  My first reaction was to tell him where to go, but I could only imagine what he was going through right now. "I didn't do anything that warrants your hatred."

  "Like hell." His father's European accent became extremely thick. "I thought he'd finally see things if he stayed here for a while. He was supposed to learn how our packs were stronger and respect everything our family has sacrificed. Instead, he submitted to you." A growl laced his final words.

  "Though my reign is new, my packs will be stronger in no time." I got that he was upset, but he had no right to come in here and insult me. "I'll do whatever it takes to make sure I protect my own."

  "From what I've heard, you've had vampires attack and almost died a month ago." His gray eyes seemed to slice through me. “Some strong leader you are.”

  "But what you may not have heard is that because of her dedication and willingness to fight, she's already had the major alphas in the larger cities submit to her." Mason appeared back in the room and stood beside me, facing the king. "It's insulting that you'd talk so poorly of us when we're doing everything we can and even hosted your son here for over two months. One more word about my mate, and I’ll personally make sure you’re kicked out."

  "Did you force him to do this?" The color in the king's face resembled the same shade of red as a tomato. "And I actually had thought you might be better than your deadbeat uncle. At least, with him, he'd betrayed me to my face and not behind my back."

  "I did not betray you." I could only be sympathetic to a point. He was now overstepping a boundary. "If you keep accusing me in my own home, I'll have my guards kick your ass out."

  "And now, both of you have the audacity to threaten me?" He lifted his hand as if he was considering slapping me.

  Mason stepped in front of me, his back brushing against my chest. "I'd put that hand down before you do something you’ll regret." Mason's words were almost indistinguishable, given how thick his growl had become.

  "Dad, stop." Louis finally walked over and stood next to me. "She had nothing to do with this."

  "Bollocks!" The king yelled so loud it echoed against the walls. "A prince doesn't submit to another royal without something being held over their head." He pointed his finger in Louis's direction. "Your mother is beside herself with grief. It's time for you to come home."

  "I am home." Louis took a deep breath and stared his father down. "You know Henry is better suited for the throne anyway."

  "It doesn't matter who I think is best fit." King Adelmo took a step into Louis's personal space. "Destiny chooses the next heir. What are you going to do? Live with them,” he said as he pointed at Mason and me, “the rest of your life?” He waved his hands. "Get your shit. We're going."

  This wasn't going to end well.

  "Why don't you back off?" Ella got to her feet and rushed over to stand between me and her mate. "He doesn't want to go."

  "This is what's wrong with you." The king's eyes landed on me. "You blackmail my son, the next in line to be king, and you let some pack member speak to me so rudely. Your father would be ashamed."

  Those words were like a slap to my face. It hurt me deep within my soul.

  "You arrogant asshole ..." Ella started, but Mason raised a hand.

  "You come here unannounced, and yet my mate allowed you in." Mason's voice grew soft ... scary. "She allowed you to act in anger, understanding that you are hurt, and then you purposefully say the one thing that would cause her pain." He stepped right into the King's face and stared him straight in the eyes. "Get the fuck out of this house now. You're not welcome back. If you want to talk with your son, call him. Until you apologize, you aren't welcome here any longer."

  "Now you listen here ..." The king started to back up but was cut short when Tommy, Kassie, and Mona passed by me to surround him. "You can't be serious. Do you know the repercussions of kicking me out?"

  I couldn't allow him to think I was weak even if he’d ripped my heart out. "Do you know the repercussions of coming into my house to falsely accuse me and my mate of extortion?" I took a deep breath and straightened my shoulders. "Like the King said," insisted as I pointed to Mason, "get the fuck out now. If you don't, our guards will make you."

  Realization seemed to settle on him as he stumbled back a step and blinked a few times. "Louis, get your things now."

  Louis reached out and took Ella's hand. "I've pledged my loyalty to them ..." He paused and glanced right at me. "To her. This is my home now."

  "What's wrong?" Kassie's voice had a hard edge. "Didn’t you want him to marry an American anyway?"

  When he first found out I was alive, that was the expectation that he had set. That Louis and I would marry.

  "I can't believe this." He turned on his heel and headed to the front door. He glanced over his shoulder. "I'll find out what you're using in order to keep him here. You're obviously using her," he said as his eyes landed on Ella, "but there has to be something else too. He wouldn't do this for a quick lay."

  “You don’t get to talk about her that way.” Louis's shoulders stiffened, and his nostrils flared as he stepped in front of Ella.

  "Get out now." Mason took a step in the king’s direction. “This is your last chance or I’ll personally kick your ass out in the next second.”

  The king harrumphed and opened the door, slamming it shut in his wake.

  Are you okay? Mason turned to me and pulled me into his arms.

  I couldn't cry. Not right now. Yes, all of these people were my family now. Yet, I was afraid if I started crying, I wasn't quite sure when I'd stop. I'll be fine.

  "My dad’s an ass." Louis frowned as his eyes scanned over me. "He's a difficult person to understand. Hell, I never understood him."

  I tugged myself out of Mason's arms and narrowed my eyes directly at the prince. "He sure meant every word he said."

  "Gotta side with her on this one, babe." Ella shrugged and let go of his hand, standing closer to me.

  "You do know you don't have to step closer to her to take her side, right?" Mason arched an eyebrow at his sister.

  "It's better for theatrics." She winked at me. "It drives the point home better."

  "I just need to make sure." I took a deep breath and stared him down. "You don't feel like you have to stay here, right? Because of Ella." Even if we hadn't meant to blackmail him, what if he was afraid of our reaction if they left. He didn't want to take her away from her family.

  "Honestly, it might be nice to have a little bit of a break from her, at least from time to time." Mason leaned over and placed his chin on the top of my head. "So maybe you could reconsider."

  "No, that's not it." Louis sighed and took a deep breath. "It's that the two of you make amazing leaders. You're not even half my father's age, and you both understand what a true leader is. It's not asking someone to do something you aren't willing to do yourself." He huffed and shook his head. "Dad never goes out on reconnaissance or takes part in any fights that we have against witches or vampires. He stays safe, sitting in his castle."

  I wasn't expecting that. I wasn't quite sure what else to say.

  "I understand if I need to move out and find my own place." He took a deep breath and sighed. "I'd been thinking about that the past couple weeks, but with the recent threat, I'd planned to hold off."

  "You need to stay here for now." There was no way I'd want Ella and him to put themselves out there as easy targets. "We can figure the rest of this out later. Right now, we need to warn the packs and visit the ones we haven't been able to yet."

  A phone rang, and Kassie pulled hers from her pocket. "Hello?"

  There was no
telling what King Adelmo had done. My stomach churned as I waited for her to end the call.

  "I'll be there shortly." Kassie hung up the call, and her forehead lined with worry.

  "What's going on?" She just needed to tell me.

  "We've got a problem." Kassie paused, but her eyes locked with Tommy's. "Richard and Debra have escaped from prison."

  At first, the words didn't make sense. "My cousin and aunt?" That couldn't be possible. They hated my guts, and we had them locked up in the most secure location.

  "Yes."

  Someone had to have helped them to escape, and I had no clue who it could have been.

  Chapter Two

  Out of all the possibilities that had run through my head, my aunt and cousin escaping wasn't one of them. "Both of them?" I probably sounded like a parrot right now.

  "Get the guards to track their scents." Mason took off his suit jacket and threw it on a chair. "This is ridiculous. If they can't do it, I will."

  "Whoa, there." Tommy lifted his hand. "I can't have the royal I'm protecting running straight into enemy lines."

  "It's our prison." I was with Mason on this one. "We're going."

  "Of course they are." Kassie sighed and shook her head.

  "If it was anyone else but her, you'd be impressed." Mona snorted as she patted Kassie on the shoulder. "And really, we only have ourselves to blame."

  That was true. They'd trained my ass on self-defense and proper weapon usage over the past twelve years. "I promise to not run off unprompted."

  "Girl, you don't think we noticed the last word of that sentence?" Ella rolled her eyes and leaned against Louis's shoulder. "That wasn't even worth promising."