Read Online Embrace the Passion (The Blood Rose Series) by Caris Roane - Free Book Online Page A

ago, tempers volatile, loyalty to the pack set far above the well-being of the realm, and the female shifters not far behind.
    Lorelei stepped away from him, turning in a circle. He felt her distress, even her uncertainty, a mirror of his own response to the situation.
    But he hadn’t been a leader of warriors for centuries without knowing where, at least, to begin.
    In a loud voice, he commanded, “I want the alphas here with me right now. The rest of you, fall back into pack formations beyond the central communal area.” He then assigned what appeared to be the closest fire pit for each pack.
    But the alphas didn’t move and each regiment stuck close to its leader. Even Ephyx, who always obeyed, stayed frozen in place, his eyes wild with shifter-rage.
    Seth rarely employed his rank, but he did it now, adding a powerful vibration to his voice, as he shouted, “Do it, now!”
    The tension in the ranks around him rose to a sharp, sudden peak but almost as quickly subsided. The alphas, responding to his authority, each gave a signal and their grumbling forces retreated. Pack organization relied heavily on chain-of-command.
    And Seth was at the top of that chain.
    Some shoulder bumping went on, as well as heavy, bass growls. Many of the shifters showed fur on their hands, and some around the neck, a typical reaction of strong emotion. But for the most part, the retreat rolled out the way he needed it to.
    Ephyx spoke in a loud voice. “Territories were violated during the prime call.”
    Seth stared at him for a long moment. “What do you mean, ‘prime call’? I’ve never heard that before.”
    “The summoning call that only a prime female can issue.” He lowered his chin and held Seth’s gaze. “The call your prime female issued, calling all four packs to Loperz Canyon.”
    He glanced at Lorelei as a new layer of horror descended on him.
    Prime female?
    He pathed to her. Is that your take on this? Prime female? And if she did hold this position, what did that make him?
    Lorelei’s eyes went wide. I don’t know what that means. Remember, I’ve never been part of a shifter pack, so I don’t know all the ranks or the terminology. I take it you don’t, either.
    He shook his head. No, I don’t. At least, I’ve never heard this term before.
    The alpha Cohoet spoke, his tone acerbic. “She doesn’t even know what she is, or what she’s doing here. This is fucking bullshit.” His voice rose as he leveled his gaze at her. “You don’t deserve this rank, Mistress Lorelei. Who the hell do you think you are, anyway, entering Walvashorr without deferring to me, or to one of the other alphas? You should have done that first before choosing a mate.”
    Seth held Cohoet’s gaze, trying to grasp all that he was saying. What did he mean that Lorelei had already chosen a mate?
    Glancing at her, the horrified expression in her eyes told him she wasn’t aware that she’d done any such thing.
    There were so many issues at work that Seth couldn’t quite process what exactly was going on. But as he began analyzing and dissecting the situation, he realized that a new problem had risen, one closely associated with Lorelei’s shifter DNA. Cohoet had demeaned her and no wolf of character could let such a challenge go unanswered. He felt her anger kick into high gear, matching the same level of rage that ruled all of Big Timber right now.
    He turned toward her, intending to calm her down, but she’d already launched into the air at Cohoet. In turn, the alpha braced himself with a smile, ready to do battle, even with a female in her weaker fae form.
    Acting on instinct, however, Seth flew toward her, catching her around the waist midair. He swung her in a circle and though she fought against him, he brought her back to the snow-covered platform.
    She panted hard, her muscles twitching, as she shoved against him trying to get free of his hold. She even showed a soft white ruff circling her throat, which sharpened the