Wolf Rising (Beta Wolf Academy Book 4) Read online

  WOLF RISING

  BETA WOLF ACADEMY: BOOK IV

  JJ KING

  CONTENTS

  Acknowledgments

  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

  NEXT IN BETA WOLF ACADEMY…

  WANT MORE FATED MATES & HOT WOLVES?

  ALSO WRITTEN BY JJ KING

  About the Author

  The characters, places, and events portrayed in this book are completely fiction and are in no way meant to represent real people or places.

  This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to others. If you would like to share this eBook with another person please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  Copyright © 2021 JJ King

  All rights reserved.

  Kindle Edition

  ISBN 978-1-989794-24-1

  For my kickass besties, Candace, Juanita, Ricki, and Carl.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  This one is kinky AF. Brace yourself. And Mom… tell Dad not to read this one.

  CHAPTER 1

  "Seriously, Lexi?" Chase asked, throwing his arms wide as he turned in a circle in the center of what, from all appearances, was a pretty decent apartment. "We've looked at nine different places this weekend. This is by far the nicest place we've seen. What's wrong with this one?"

  I chewed my lip and wandered through the open space, appreciating the weathered hardwood floor, the windows that overlooked the south side of campus, and the decent-sized kitchen."

  It's nice," I began. "But it only has three bedrooms—"

  "Yeah, but it has a den, which I would be totally happy converting into a bedroom," Chase said, nodding as if it were a done deal.

  I leveled my gaze on him. "Chase, there's barely enough room in there for a sofa and desk. There's no way in hell you'd be comfortable setting up shop. It's smaller than your dorm room."

  I looked from Chase, to Lucian, to Dimitri, and shook my head. "I know you're all anxious to find somewhere and settle down before the term begins on Monday, but I don't want to jump into a place without thinking it through. We talked about this, decided on how many rooms we want, what kind of rent and layout. Just because we're tired now doesn't mean that we should give up on that. I don't want us to regret anything.”

  "Do you think you'll regret moving in with us?" Dimitri asked, his voice low.

  "I can't wait to live with you guys, but let's face it, it's going to be a huge adjustment. The three of you have never lived together, let alone adding a fourth into the mix." I stepped forward and placed my palm against his cheek, stroking over the 5 o'clock shadow that darkened his jawline. "Just because we're mates doesn't mean that we have all our shit together. We keep saying that we have a lifetime together to figure it all out, but we're still so early in our relationship, and it's not like we have the usual dynamic. I'm not going to regret moving in with you guys, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little bit nervous about it disrupting all the balance we've fought for."

  I looked at each of them, and a shadow of guilt flickered through Lucian's dark eyes.

  We'd worked out our issues and had each come to understand where the other's head had been. I'd been right that Lucian had just needed time to deal with his thoughts and emotions over the sudden departure of Pierre as a scapegoat or lodestone for all the anger he felt about his parent's murder. We'd talked endlessly, until late into many nights, and we were good, now. But he'd walked away from me, from us, needing time and space. What if that happened again? We needed to learn how to be with each other, how to exist in a foursome, when all the dating books and relationship guides out there were made for twosomes.

  "Just be patient with me, okay?" I said. "I know that means that we might have to wait a little bit longer to move in together, but I don't want to move too quickly and make a mistake."

  Chase cleared his throat and glanced down at his cell phone. "Okay, well, we have one more place to check out, but I don't really have high hopes for it."

  He motioned for us to follow him and set out through the door, leaving us to fall behind.

  While the men descended the stairs, one after the other, I shot off the text to Rose. Is everything ready?

  It only took a few seconds for her to respond. All set.

  I grinned and followed my mates down the stairs and out of the old apartment building.

  We made our way across campus, over icy pathways and through lightly falling snow, towards the last set of buildings and our last viewing for the day. Butterflies danced in my stomach as we neared the professor's accommodations, a beautiful old building filled with impressive apartments that we could only dream of getting. Students weren't allowed to live in the abodes meant for staff.

  "Hey," I called out, as we approached the front doors. "I need to pop in here for just a second. Do you guys mind waiting for me?"

  I saw the fatigue on their faces and schooled my features to stay innocent and calm while inside, I grinned like a fool.

  "We've got to meet the super of the next place in ten minutes. Can we do this later?" Chase asked.

  I shook my head. "It'll just take me a second. Come on," I said, gesturing them forward, as I slipped towards the front doors of the building. "Just come on in with me. It'll go faster if you guys stop arguing."

  "We weren't arguing," Dimitri mumbled. "Just pointing out that we’re in a bit of a rush."

  The warmth of the foyer chased away the chill from outside. I pressed the button for the elevator and smiled when it dinged and swung open without so much as a rusty hinge. I stepped inside and waited until they were all in, then pressed the button for the fourth floor.

  "Why do you need to see Dr. Daniels?" Lucian asked. He'd been here before, I realized, without me. He'd know the building, but not my secret. Not yet.

  Lucian narrowed his eyes on the numbers and frowned. "Doesn't he and Asher live on the third floor?"

  I lifted an eyebrow. "Does he?" I asked with all innocence. "Oh, yes, that's right. My mistake."

  Lucian shrugged and moved forward to press the button for the third floor, but I slipped in front of him, blocking his finger.

  He cocked his head to the side, watching me. "What are you up to, Lexi?"

  Curiosity fluttered in his eyes.

  I shrugged and smiled. "Follow me, and you’ll see."

  The elevator doors opened into a beautiful hallway. Without hesitating, I stepped out, turned left, and walked to the end of the hallway, to where a woman with long blonde hair waited before a tall wooden door, smiling for us.

  "Welcome," she said, fitting a key into the door and pushing it open. “I’m Denise Linstrom. Go on in.”

  “Lexi,” Dimitri murmured, halting in the hallway. “What’s going on?”

  I let all the excitement I’d been holding back for the last few hours bubble up and show in my eyes.

  “I might have pulled a few strings…” I said, batting my eyelashes at him.

  Before they could respond with questions, I stepped th
rough the door.

  They followed, peeking around the corner into a small foyer that featured a gorgeous built-in open closet with space for shoes, coats, and more. I grinned and ran a hand over the polished wood, impressed by what Rose had been able to pull off in such a short amount of time.

  I slipped out of my wet boots and coat and slid them into one of the compartments, then stepped through the opening into the main room. My head twisted as I turned to take in the beauty all around me.

  "This apartment is one of the oldest on campus," Denise said, as she clicked into the room on high heels.

  She brushed her hand against mine as she passed, covertly passing off a package I’d asked Rose to arrange. Feeling like a super spy, I slipped it into my jeans pocket.

  "It was inhabited by Professor Rosario and her family until just recently. She retired after a prestigious career here at Beta Wolf Academy, leaving this gem available for a very short time." Denise pressed the tip of her tongue to her upper lip and looked between each of us. "This apartment has only been available to senior professors at the Academy for as long as this building has existed."

  She caught my eye and shot me a wink. "It has four bedrooms plus a den, and a spacious living room that opens into this stunning kitchen."

  She strode across the room and waved her hand like Vanna White towards what was, in actuality, the one of the most beautiful kitchens I'd ever seen.

  Exposed brick covered one wall, where the previous owners had left their long wooden table, just below an industrial looking art installation of a light.

  The dining room flowed into the kitchen, where a large island stood, covered in quartz that waterfalled over each edge.

  I spun in a slow circle, taking in the polished hardwood, stained a dark, rich brown and laid out in a beautiful herringbone pattern.

  "All the furniture will be staying with the apartment, as Professor Rosario has a fully furnished home in her new location," Denise added.

  I lifted my gaze to a wall of windows overlooking campus. Long, lush curtains in a deep navy blue were pulled halfway across, providing privacy and beauty. I walked to the windows, then turned and took in the sight of the twin cognac colored leather sofas, and the two wingback chairs set on either side of the fireplace, which was centered between built-in bookshelves that were barren, now, but wouldn’t be for long.

  Lucian, Chase, and Dimitri wandered behind me, their eyes wide with lust, confusion, and a little bit of frustration.

  "Why are you showing us this place?" Chase asked, looking at me rather than the stunning blonde woman. "It's just a tease. We’re not staff…"

  He trailed off, looking sad.

  I smiled, strode across the room to him, and pressed my lips softly to his. Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out a key and slipped it into his hand, then walked to Dimitri, and then Lucian, handing them each a key.

  Finally, I smiled at Denise. "Thank you, I think we've got it from here."

  She nodded, then clicked out of the apartment and closed the door behind her.

  Slowly, filled with joy and pride that I'd been able to pull this off, I turned, waved my hands, and said, "Welcome home."

  CHAPTER 2

  I shifted on my chair in art class and paused to take a sip of the coffee Dimitri had made me this morning and poured into a pretty, sparkly pink to-go cup. Like him, it was strong and dark, with just the slightest bit of sweet mixed in.

  We'd made it through the weekend and the moving in process, fairly well, if three or four minor bickering fights could be considered, "fairly well."

  It was to be expected, considering that none of us had ever lived with anyone outside of our siblings and parents at any point in our lives. We were all still young and hadn't had a chance to cohab with anyone. Getting our own dorm rooms and being responsible for keeping them clean and eating on a daily basis was, until now, the most grown-up thing we had to do. If you didn't consider facing down sociopathic killers, "grown-up things."

  I sighed, took another sip of coffee, and tried not to shake my head.

  My life was a conundrum, wrapped in mystery, deep-fried in what the fuck?

  I set my coffee aside and picked up the paintbrush I'd been using, reloading it with the deep, smoky grey paint that felt like a reflection of so much of what we'd been through lately. I'd registered for another term of the abstract painting course I'd been in last term, having thoroughly enjoyed the process of looking inward to find what I was feeling and expressing that through chaotic or controlled strokes on the canvas. It was a fascinating process, and the piece I'd created last term was one of my favorite things I'd ever made, even if it broke my heart every time I looked at it.

  Painting had helped me find a sense of peace with Alyssa’s death. Not acceptance of what had happened to her, not forgiveness of her murderers, but a catharsis that had pushed the nightmares just a little further away. The glimpse of her optimistic yellow, of her face, through the red and black, through the marks of grief I’d clawed over the wet paint… it had helped release something locked deep within me.

  This one, only just begun, reflected it somewhat. I'd mirrored a lot of the manic brushstrokes, the sharp edges and deep shadows, but, somewhere in the last hour, I'd also added pops of color, a subtle peach that mixed with the latest graze, highlighted with dabs of pure white to make it look as though it were shimmering like sunlight, bouncing off water.

  I paused as the instructor, Serenity, stopped just behind me. I glanced over my shoulder at her, expecting some kind of feedback, but found her staring intently at my canvas.

  My stomach twisted. She'd been impressed with my abstract from last term but had watched me with vaguely concerned eyes after. She'd been right to be concerned and hadn't known the half of the darkness within me. Thank the Old Ones, I hadn't been asked to paint something representative of my feelings after we'd rescued Lucian, Chase, and Dimitri. I wasn't sure how I'd show the devolution into berserker mode that I'd experienced. The coldness and distance. I'd felt for my humanity, with blood coating my skin, and the wolf inside me, anxious to tear and kill.

  I pushed the thoughts away, feeling slightly queasy at the memory. I didn't like to think about it often, even though Dr. Bennett insisted I really needed to spend some time trying to understand how I felt about it. It was still too big, I’d told him. Too overwhelming to put myself back in that headspace and remember all the emotions or lack thereof that I'd spiraled through.

  I didn't have it in me to find the reason and purpose to what I'd done. Not when my dreams were filled with screams and shadows, and more blood than anyone should ever have to see in a lifetime.

  What I didn't want to tell him, what disturbed me beyond any nightmare I'd ever had, was the fact that those dreams didn't disturb me. Somehow, some part of me was okay with what I'd done.

  It was inconceivable, really, that I'd be okay with slaughtering human beings, so maybe it was all just a psychological dam that would eventually break. Maybe I was just in shock, still, and eventually it would flood my mind. That was probably what would happen. Because I wasn't a stone-cold killer.

  Right?

  "This is beautiful work, Lexi," Serenity said, snapping me out of my dark, twisted thoughts.

  Grateful, I smiled and murmured, "Thank you," then turned back to my canvas, ready to continue.

  She traced a finger through the air, over a swath of peach paint that I'd layered beneath the shadows. "I love this. It's like… a shimmer of hope in the midst of a nightmare."

  Her lips curved up and she nodded at me with a smile, then turned away and moved on to the next student.

  A shimmer of hope in the midst of a nightmare. How perfect was that? That's exactly what it was, I thought, loading up my brush with more hope.

  Apparently, peach represented the love I felt for my mates, the connection I had with my friends and sisters, and the hope I had that we'd all come out of this alive.

  I could live with that.

  When Serenity
called out that it was time to clean up, I washed my brushes and set aside my canvas, happy with the progress I'd made. It was day one of the new semester, the end of my very first class, but already, I was more hopeful than I'd been all last term.

  Of course, I thought, as I made my way out of the art building towards the psychology department, my happiness was completely contingent on the darkness we’d discovered staying far away from Beta Wolf Academy.

  Guilt, thick and oily, snuck through my defenses at the thought. Yes, I was safe here, inside the grounds of Beta Wolf Academy, with my mates and friends, but the rest of my world lived outside these walls. My sisters had regrouped in Ireland, at Liam and Rose's castle, to stay safe. They'd walked away from the lives they'd made out in the real world, the friends they'd made in the progress, because of the uncertainty right now.

  We'd taken down all the guys we'd found in that soap factory, but what did it matter if there were more? The most important of them, Aidan, had slipped out when I was distracted. He was free, out in the world, and filled with hatred and vindictiveness, along with a good slice of the fascination Raphael had towards scientific oddities. He hated me and my sisters, and wanted nothing more than to destroy all of us. Or, better yet, study those of us who were different in any way, for science.

  I was as different as they came. As were my mates, which was why he'd kidnapped them and tortured them, and then attempt to lure me out so he could do the same with me.