Fearless Little Werewolf Read online

  BY Katie Salidas

  Little Werewolf Book 3

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Fearless Little Werewolf

  Fearless Little Werewolf

  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

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Chapter 44

  Some Characters in this book belong to the Immortalis series

  Other Books By Katie Salidas

  Fearless Little Werewolf

  Copyright © 2016 by Katie Salidas

  EBOOK EDITION

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

  Published by:

  Rising Sign Books

  http://www.risingsignbooks.net

  Photography by Absolute Photography

  Model Esther Tuttle

  Cover Designed by Willsin Rowe

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  Fearless Little Werewolf

  The death of the Regional Alpha exposes Giselle to the deadly game of werewolf politics where friends are liabilities, boyfriends are weaknesses, and family are pawns strategically played against her.

  Chapter 1

  “Remind me again why I agreed to this.” Giselle stared blankly, hardly recognizing her own reflection in the mirror.

  The same eyes she’d known for the last seventeen years gazed back at her. Beautiful. Youthful. And notorious for scrutinizing everything. Her curse and the reason she’d been set upon this path. Of that she had no doubt. But in a world where everything hid behind a cloak of deception, allowing herself to blindly accept what lay before her solved nothing. Had she chosen that path, an innocent woman would surely have been put to death. And she’d never have known about her father or the magic that brought her into this world.

  Her lips might now be coated in a luxurious shade of plum, but their purpose had not changed – still speaking the truth and unabashedly calling to question anything that did not add up. Truth came with its fair share of turmoil. But that too had wrought good.

  Still spunky. Still Giselle. Her reflection revealed no physical alteration, unless you counted the makeup and the sophisticated outfit. That gave her a small out-of-body experience, but nothing physically had changed since the last time she’d taken a good long look at herself. And yet within, the difference was unmistakable.

  Could anyone else see it? Or was it now that she was finally witnessing the reflection of what others recognized when they looked at her? A leader. Someone to be proud of. Someone worth looking up to.

  The sudden weight on her shoulders that came with the title of Alpha had settled, and she wasn’t yet up to the task of bearing that heavy mantle.

  Di rolled her eyes and tipped Giselle’s head back to apply another quick brush of mascara. “And you call me the drama queen.” Clearly unimpressed with her sister’s lack of enthusiasm, Di put the tiny brush back into the bottle and spun the chair around, making Giselle face her. “No matter if you act the part or not, I will not have you going out there looking like you just rolled out of bed, Miss Alpha.”

  “Really? That’s what we’re doing now?” She wondered how much of Di’s attitude was jealousy and how much was pride in how well she’d made sure Giselle was living up to the new honor.

  “What? It’s your title. You’re the new Grand High Muckety Muck.”

  Giselle snorted. “I prefer Poobah, if you don’t mind. Emphasis on the grand part.”

  Di made a show of bowing low with a flourish of her hand. “As you wish, your Grand High Poohbahness.” Both girls erupted into giggles as Di recovered from the bow and immediately grabbed a tissue to wipe the tears from the corner of her eye before she could smudge her makeup.

  “Well done.” Giselle praised her sister with her best impression of a British monarch.

  Even with the weight of the world falling on her shoulders, she knew she could count on her sisters to keep the mood light.

  Titles had never meant much to someone used to being a lone wolf. That she connected with – the simplicity of existing and relying on your instincts and senses; making decisions through cunning and attention to detail, rather than following the order and judgment of others. Those decisions only affected one person. This was basis of how she lived. Down to her very core, she could follow no order if it did not meet with what her heart told her to do. Yet despite that, everyone claimed Giselle had been born to lead a pack.

  Especially now that she’d learned of her bloodline and who her father had been, she couldn’t deny the blood claim to the title of Alpha. Maybe in a few years’ time, she’d grow into it.

  But that wasn’t in her stars.

  “You’re dwelling again.” Di’s tone had toughened, and when Giselle looked up, her sister was brandishing a fresh tube of lipstick. “Stop overthinking this. Try to be happy. Okay?” Before Giselle could answer, Di attacked with a quick swipe of creamy color.

  Alpha was more than she had been prepared to handle. After all, she’d only just learned that being a werewolf was okay. Most of her seventeen years had been spent feeling like a lost little girl and a freak of nature. No less than a year after finding a pack, she was to be crowned queen of the freaks, so to speak. Life, at least for her, was moving at breakneck speed, and she’d never had the benefits of training wheels.

  “Well, I’ve done all I can. The rest will be up to you.” Di spun Giselle back around to face the mirror. “And you will do fantastic. No more stressing out. It’s giving you crow’s feet. You were born to this. You will rock this. Now go out there and wow those Silverman boys and make sure they go home and tell everyone in their pack how amazing you’re going to be as the next Alpha.”

  Not usually the one to give pep ta
lks, Di was more brute than inspiration, but her words helped, as did her skill with blush brush. Giselle’s makeup was impeccable, a skill she’d never mastered herself. She counted her lucky stars for her two sisters. Thanks to Di and Taylor, she’d never have to worry about leaving the house disheveled. They always had her covered.

  “I’m saying goodbye to the guys, not meeting with heads of state, but thanks for the touch up.”

  “Um, hello? Those guys... They’re from the big pack up north. I’m not letting my sister and the future Alpha be seen by them looking anything less than stellar! I don’t care what you think, boys gossip just as much as girls. You will send them off with a story of your spectacular beauty and smarts.”

  “You’re putting way too much emphasis on this two-second goodbye. Besides... they’re my cousins. Family. And they’ve already seen me at my worst. Remember?”

  “Stop downplaying this!” Di huffed.

  “You dare order your Alpha around?” Giselle narrowed her eyes playfully.

  “You’re damn right I do. Especially when she’s being a big crybaby. You’re an Alpha. You have to look the part. Always! And it’s my job to make sure you do. Well, mine and Taylor’s, of course, but you’re already dressed appropriately, so ... hair and makeup are my domain.” Di scrutinized the lines on her face. “Though I need to get you a better foundation. You’re losing your summer tan already.”

  “Okay, that’s enough. Let me go down and say my goodbyes before they die of old age waiting on me.”

  “As if. We wolves live forever,” Di retorted. “They can wait.”

  If she hadn’t been in a hurry to get downstairs, she’d have been tempted to ask about that. Rumor had it that wolves lived a long time; some longer than others. And she’d heard the phrase immortal thrown around once or twice in passing. Mental note for later: she’d need to learn the truth of that in due course, as well as all things wolf, if she planned on really doing the Alpha thing right. More reasons to stress out. She knew so little as it was.

  Giselle stood and waved Di away before she could do any more. “I’m fine. Great work. You can tell me all about foundations later.”

  “You’re welcome.” Di put her hands on her hips, glaring at Giselle as if her lack of appreciation for proper makeup application was an insult.

  “Thank you.” Giselle tried to sound as gracious as she could while scooting out of the bedroom door to avoid another lecture on looking one’s best.

  Outside her room, the house felt different. She’d taken forever to get ready, no thanks to her sister, but she hadn’t expected to anger anyone with her tardiness. But it was there: anger, or perhaps disappointment. The negativity traveled all the way up the stairs to smack her in her perfectly made up face the moment she stepped out into the hall.

  Something had to be up. No way was this negative a vibe coming from a couple of teenage guys. Giselle took a peek over the stair rail before heading down, and spotted the solemn faces of her cousins along with a matched set of frowns on Gavin and Martina.

  “Sorry, guys. I didn’t mean to take so long,” she started to say as she came down the stairs.

  Ace and Jay were waiting by the door as if eager to leave. Rather than sporting the happy-go-lucky flirtatious vibe she’d come to expect of them, they looked as if their father’s death had taken all the wind from their sails and wanted nothing more than to be rid of this place.

  “Thank you for the hospitality you and your family have shown us, especially in this difficult time,” Ace began to say, pausing respectfully to look each person in the eye. His hesitation seemed more frightened than sad, and Giselle looked instinctively toward Martina to see if she’d caught the same feeling too.

  If she had, she gave no indication. Martina stood hand in hand with her husband, both wearing the traditional funeral black they’d worn since David’s death. Both of them carried grave expressions to match.

  Ace took a breath and cleared his throat before continuing. “Mother has been in contact with us, and there have been some developments that I’m afraid I have to make you aware of before we leave.”

  His all-business tone contrasted sharply to the playboy image he’d carried only days before, and it broke Giselle’s heart to see how much his father’s death had altered him. Jay too stood like a man who was holding back a dam of emotions. Men saw it as a sign of weakness to cry, it seemed. And these were wolf men.

  She wouldn’t fault either of them if they broke down in tears. She’d only just learned of her own father, and if anything happened to him before she had the chance to get to him, there was no doubt she’d be a blubbering mess. No point in bringing that situation up, though. It was clear by the way both guys were standing at a perfect parade rest that they were all wolf and only here to state their business before moving on.

  “Thank you for sticking around these last few days while we sorted out the bad business of cleaning things up. I hope you found our hospitality up to your standards.” Giselle had memorized what Martina had instructed her to say and hoped she was coming across as natural, though she felt as if she were standing in front of a class giving a speech.

  Ace’s lip quivered for a second before he gained control. There it was – that show of emotion. Poor guy. She just wanted to reach out and hug him; but that wasn’t how wolves acted, and cousin or no, she still barely knew him. Had he been Di or Taylor, she’d have wrapped her arms around him and squeezed as tight as she could.

  Standing perfectly still and looking dead on, Jay had complete mastery over his body and emotions. The perfect soldier.

  “Your hospitality was more than adequate. And we thank you,” Ace said, his tone flat.

  Awkward was an understatement, and short on more pre-designated speeches, Giselle broke the silence with her usual brand of brash curiosity. “Okay. So, what’s up with your mom?”

  Jay sighed heavily breaking his eyes-forward stare to give her a sympathetic nod. “There has been some contestation of your claim as Alpha.” He held his hands up as if in surrender. “Not by me. Or my brother.” He glanced quickly at Ace, who nodded in agreement. “A council of Alphas has been called in to decide on the validity of your claim.”

  Her world came to a crashing halt in the span of a moment, and all eyes landed on her, as if she had suddenly been brought under a spotlight.

  Gavin released Martina’s hand and took a step closer to Giselle, coming up right behind her as though he expected her to faint and need to be caught.

  Martina sucked in a breath, perhaps waiting for Giselle to take the news badly and react physically.

  Behind her, Giselle felt two others come close: Di and Taylor, no doubt.

  They all towered around her, making her feel as if the walls themselves were closing in, but despite the way they all reacted to the news, Giselle felt nothing. Numbness, perhaps, rather than nothingness. She’d been unsure of the title already, so part of her took this news with relief that she might not need to take up that heavy mantle. And yet another growing part within her wanted it. Either way, she was paralyzed to react, and after the silence in the room had gone stale, she still couldn’t muster a response.

  Ace jumped in. “Your presence is requested immediately, to go before the council of Alphas, so you’ll need to head up north with us.”

  That, more than anything else they’d said, hit her with the blunt force of a bat to the head. She’d been led to believe it would be a simple dog-and-pony show, and she’d be given the title and could return home to lead her life as it was. Now she’d have to actually fight for a title she had never wanted. In front of all the Alphas.

  “And if I don’t go?” Giselle asked.

  “Then you forfeit, obviously,” Ace said. He met her eyes with sincerity, and he reached out to hold her hand. “Don’t do that. It would not only hurt you in the future, it would do damage to our family and pack. We are joined by blood – you and us. Cousins. Family. And the actions of some members create a ripple effect to others.”r />
  Her first impression of him had been that of a playboy and a young, carefree guy. He could easily have laid a claim to the title of Alpha if he’d wanted it, and she knew he’d been groomed for it as the elder of the two sons, if only by minutes. And yet, here he was telling her not to let go of her own claim.

  “Could I simply pass it to another family member, then?” she asked, hoping yes would be the answer.

  “I wish it were that simple. But no. It is yours to claim first. If the Council judges you unworthy, then the title succession will be decided by the Council,” Ace said.

  “Couldn’t be simple, could it?” Giselle mumbled under her breath, before remembering everyone in the room had supernatural hearing too. Embarrassment set in. What a fine job she was doing at the moment acting Alpha-like. The Council would see through her in a second and brand her with the scarlet letter F straight across her forehead for all eternity. Failure. “I need to think about this.” Being let off the hook sounded tempting. But not at the cost of bringing shame to her newfound family.

  Ace remained hopeful, at least in look. “You have until the end of the week. That’s when the Council will convene and decide. Even if you don’t want to be Alpha, this will be an event you won’t want to miss. Regional Alphas from all across North America have been called in for this.”

  “Of course she’s is going.” Di spoke for Giselle. “She’s going to be Regional Alpha. It was what she was born to do, and we will make sure she is there and looking her best.”

  “I guess my decision has been made, then,” Giselle said nervously. Adding the pressure of having to plead her case in front of every major player in the wolf world was not exactly her idea of a good time, but if she was going to try to be one of them, she’d have to deal with them eventually.

  Ace’s smile returned, and she was glad to see it. His face didn’t suit a frown at all. “You’ll do fine. I’m sure this is just a formality, since you were lost to us for so long. It sounds all scary, I’m sure, but really, it’s just an excuse to gather the Alphas for a party.”

  “Well, when you put it like that, okay.” Giselle chuckled politely, while reminding herself to breathe slowly to avoid passing out.