Alpha's Queen: (A Havenwood Falls Novella) Read online

  Her eyebrows bunched. She looked at me as though I was growing another head. “Going to the hospital isn’t going to change the fact that I have three cubs that think my lungs are a trampoline. They still need time to cook.”

  “Come here, mate. Let me see if I can talk some sense into them.”

  I scooted back and made room for her on my lap. The female who had once intended to leave me as soon as she could now had quite the stock in our people and our kingdom. She worked almost as much as I did, even with three cubs inside her.

  “Right here.”

  She giggled. “Really? All four of us on your lap?”

  “Yes. I’m pretty damned strong.”

  “Fine, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

  She sat on my knees, and I tucked her into my body the best I could.

  “Okay, little ones, this is your alpha speaking.” I rubbed along her belly, bare now that she’d pulled up her shirt. “You have to let your mother rest and breathe. Be good in there. Not much longer until you’re born.”

  I looked up at Atlas to see if she was laughing at me or loving it. Except my mate, this strong and tough female who’d opened the doors of life and truth for me, was fast asleep, her head against my shoulder. Her eyes fluttered in her sleep, probably dreaming of all the things we had to conquer together when she woke.

  Sometimes, I imagined where I would be without her. Probably still a pampered and ignorant prince, safe and witless in this brick prison.

  “I love you,” she murmured, either to the babes or me.

  “I love you, Alpha Queen.”

  We hope you enjoyed this story in the Havenwood Falls series of novellas featuring a variety of supernatural creatures. The series is a collaborative effort by multiple authors. Each book is generally a stand-alone, so you can read them in any order, although some authors will be writing sequels to their own stories. Please be aware when you choose your next read.

  Other books in the main Havenwood Falls series:

  Forget You Not by Kristie Cook

  Fate, Love & Loyalty by E.J. Fechenda

  Old Wounds by Susan Burdorf

  Covetousness by Randi Cooley Wilson

  The Winged & the Wicked by T.V. Hahn & Kristie Cook

  Ink & Fire by R.K. Ryals (Dec. 2017)

  Coming soon are books by Belinda Boring, Heather Hildenbrand, Amy Miles, Stacey Rourke, and more.

  Look for Havenwood Falls High, a Young Adult series featuring the town’s younger residents.

  Immerse yourself in the world of Havenwood Falls and stay up to date on news and announcements at www.HavenwoodFalls.com. Join our reader group, Havenwood Falls Book Club, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/HavenwoodFallsBookClub/

  About the Author

  Lila Felix is full of antics and stories. She refused to go to kindergarten after the teacher made her take a nap on the first day of school. She staged her first protest in middle school. She almost flunked out of her first semester at Pepperdine University because she was enthralled with their library and frequently was locked in. Now her husband and three children have to put up with her rebel nature in Louisiana, where her days are filled with cypress trees, crawfish, and of course her books and writing. She writes about the ordinary people who fall extraordinarily in wild, true love.

  Acknowledgments

  I can’t thank my husband and kids enough for always having my back.

  And Jaime, who does all the things for me.

  Thanks to Kristie Cook, for having a vision that spans time and space and brilliance and glory. If Havenwood Falls were real, she would be the queen of them all.

  For allowing me to borrow Casten (Seelie) and Justus (demon), I have to thank Heather Hildenbrand and AnnaLisa Grant. I can’t wait until these guys have debuts of their own.

  To the authors of all the Havenwood Falls novels: You make the writing world not so lonely.