A tissue was clasped in my right hand, damp with the few remaining tears I’d shed after finally having a letdown from the accident. My eyes were half-closed, breathing slow and on the verge of lulling me into sleep. I was finally relaxed and ready to-
I jerked upright, fingernails digging into the fabric as the bowl toppled over when my spine arched outward with frantic warning.
Screech.
Thud!
It all happened in the span of a second or two. Tires on the street. A car door opening and then a tremendous shake as something heavy slammed into the front door.
Screaming, I dove for the kitchen. I needed a weapon. Any weapon. A knife would do.
Halfway there, I saw the bag from the surplus store and scrambled for it. My fingers closed around the handle of the blade I’d purchased. A second later, I dug for the bear spray and then ducked down behind the counter, trying to stem the shaking.
That was when I saw the sheath was still on the blade. I ripped it off, the silver blade gleaming in the light, sharp and deadly. I was as ready as I could be if someone tried to break in.
But all that followed was silence. Empty silence, except for the host of the television show I’d been watching as he cast off one of the contestants. My spine was relaxed now, the danger warning fading swiftly into the darkness outside.
Slowly, carefully, I edged around the corner of the countertop, paying excruciatingly close attention to any sort of pinprick on my spine. Anything that would warn me the situation was changing again. Nothing happened.
Creeping forward, I came within a stride of the front door. It was still in place. Unbroken. Something had hit it and now waited on the other side. Moving to the side, I eased my head up cautiously at an angle until I could just barely see over the sill to the curb outside.
Empty.
Still tentative, I unlocked the door and grasped the handle, listening closing to my inner voice. It was silent.
Pulling open the heavy metal and wood door, I instantly spied the culprit. A giant rock was on the front porch, paint from the door marking where it had hit and scraped free. Something had been tied to it with heavy twine.
Setting the knife and spray down-but not out of quick reach-I turned the rock over to see a piece of paper attached like a scroll. Undoing it, I was greeted with giant blocky letters that read “LEAVE. NOW.” scrawled on it in red.
Below-in much smaller and harder to read handwriting-was an accusation that I had brought evil to the town. That I was responsible for the animals in downtown.
“Damn,” I hissed, thinking back to the town hall and Lincoln’s exact words stirring up this sentiment. Had he known they would target me?
Nervous about the ominous warning on the porch, I went back inside and locked the door. Then, after a second’s thought, I pulled a heavy sitting chair from the nearby room and put it against the door to block it.
Standing back to admire my handiwork, I was struck once again by how empty the house was. Empty, except for me. On my own.
All at once, I didn’t want to be alone. I wanted company. Reaching for my phone, I clicked on one of my more recent messages. From an unsaved number, but I didn’t need that to know who it was. The single message read only “hi.”
I stared at it for a few seconds and then hit Call. It started to ring.
Lincoln
“It’s going to be dark out there.”
I nodded at Gerratt, agreeing with his assessment. Not just night, but true darkness, the shadows of the Chained unbanished by our night vision.
“I know. We’re going anyway.”
“Didn’t think we wouldn’t,” he grunted, tugging on one of his mutton chops in anticipation as he and the others readied themselves.
I surveyed the wolves who would compose our heavily reinforced expedition to the heart of the forest. It had taken time to find even that many volunteers, but I was proud of them nonetheless. The final two, Ricky and Ulysses had come to see Gerratt just that morning.
Apparently the inability of the elders to “commune with the forest” in a fashionable time had swayed them into action. They weren’t the only ones either, and that further boosted my pridein my pack. They could see that the time for action was upon us, and we could no longer sit around.
“The new moon will ensure that everything out there is the weakest,” I said, speaking loudly enough everyone could hear, even if it was only directed at Gerratt. “That is why it had to be tonight, and why we waited. It will give us the best chance of getting across the Dyne without issue.”
Gerratt nodded, well aware that I was talking not for his benefit but for those who were coming with us. Making sure we were all on the same page. I also wanted to verbalize what we knew so that Chase fully understood it and would stay cool.
At only twenty, he was the youngest of the group by far. But he was also the first to volunteer. Grand-nephew to Elder Germander, he did not share his patriarch’s views, and made that very clear when he’d come to Gerratt to volunteer, insisting he had to help. I had thought of turning him down due to his lack of seasoning, but Gerratt had argued against it.
If we saw anything in there, he’d said, it would be smart to bring Chase so he could tell his relative and the rest of his family. Perhaps sway some of them into my camp. I’d accepted the logic, but now, looking at him and seeing his nerves on full display, I was less than certain.
“Gerratt, you take Ricky and Ulysses. Chase and Ryker, you’re with me.”
Six adult dire wolves should be more than enough for whatever we might encounter.
“Remember,” I continued, “this is simple reconnaissance. The goal is to penetrate as deeply as we can, see as much as we can, and thenget out. We are not there to get stuck in with anything that objects. If you encounter resistance, hit it hard and move on. Keep moving. Don’t waste time, and don’t get bogged down.”
I swept my gaze over the team. All eyes were on me. Even Chase’s. He was doing an admirable job of trying to blend in with the others, but while they stood perfectly still, like only a wolf could, he was practically vibrating. Still, he kept quiet, and didn’t speak out of turn. That was good.
“We’re going to swing wide first and approach from the west,” I said, and a few heads twitched. “Yes, that means we’ll be goingaround
Mount Blisbane. Far around it enough that we won’t disturb Verminax.”
Nobody wanted to dare awaken the dragon.
“What about the blood drinkers?” Ulysses said in low, gruff words. “Their territory butts up against his on the north side.”
“They know we’re coming,” I said, tilting my head at Gerratt. “We’ve secured permission to cut through their lands this time. But again, do not waste time. Got it?”
Heads bobbed.
“Once we cross the river, we’ll split up into teams, explore for one hour, and then get out. Any questions?”
After a pause, Chase raised his hand. Ryker and Ulysses snickered softly but didn’t tease him further.
“We’re not in the classroom, Chase. Just speak up.” Then I glared at the others. “You were all new and wet behind the ears too once upon a time. Except maybe you, Ryker. I think you came outta your mom with gray hair.”
There was laughter among the group as tension eased a bit. Chased smiled.
“Um. This is probably a stupid question …” he started.
More Kickass Werewolf Reads
Dive into our collection of free werewolf romance novels—where fierce Alphas, daring heroines, and heart-stopping twists await. Every story burns with forbidden desire, loyalty, and destiny. Don’t wait—here’s a world where love bites hard and nothing is stronger than the call of the mate.
Leave a Reply