"No? Your head was resting on my shoulder and you passed out. Why? Does your head hurt? Do you want some water? Though I think I drank the last bottle…” I admitted, slowly looking between the two.
Ace bit his lip, and I was completely confused by the way his eyes began to grow glossy.
"Ace?" I asked, reaching out to place a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"You're dead!" Ace snarled at Atlas who wore a sympathetic expression on his face.
"I was," he replied quietly, lowering back into the chair.
He used his left hand to toss the empty water bottle into the trash bin near the door, but I caught sight of the similar tattoo on his wrist.
Holy… that's the same tattoo as Xander’s?! No, no, no… don't tell me...
"Wait. You're..." I trailed off and tried to think properly. "You said your name is Atlas."
"Atlas is his last name," Ace corrected, a single tear rolling down his left cheek.
Ruby moved between us and hopped off the bed and into Atlas' lap. She sat with pride and began to purr when Atlas stroked her head soothingly.
He looked between the both of us and smiled.
"Your death… was a lie?" I whispered, and he nodded.
"What was your lie count, Reaper?" he inquired, and I bit my lip, knowing I'd reached one thousand with my bonus lie if it even counted anymore.
"One thousand and one.”
"I died at one thousand and two," he replied, and lifted Ruby up to sit on his shoulder as he rose from his chair.
With a bow of his head, he formally introduced himself, his emerald-gold eyes filled with a mixture of sorrow, confidence, and a hint of relief.
"Arrow Atlas. Peace agent of the North Division. Past agent of the South division. I guess I can say my death was nothing but the perfect lie to set all of this in motion. You're at my place at the North headquarters, and I just saved you from people who need Xia or the serum that runs through her. There's a lot to discuss. Shall we get started?"
Holy shit...
TO BE CONTINUED.
COMING SOON - SPRING 2019:
WOLF TAMER - SNEAK PEEK
BLURB
An Orphan Girl. A Group of Wolves. A Destined Fate for War.
Don't you ever wish to find where you belong? A place where you can rest your head without worrying about being jumped or your possessions being taken from you? Not like I had much, to say the least.
A pendant, an ancient blade, and a picture of my murdered family were all I had left when I was five years old. Foster homes to homeless shelters, I never found a place of refuge. I simply didn't belong, and everyone made it their duty to remind me of my predicament. Until I finally came across a place that felt like home.
Sacred Moon Shelter for Endangered Wolves. I'd stumbled upon the sanctuary when I was near death, but I was miraculously saved.
Since then, I've become a Wolf Tamer; the only one who can get close to touching the six rare breeds. When I'm with them, I feel safe and sometimes wish I could be like one of them and escape this cruel world.
But such inhumanity strikes home, a group of hunters shows up, ready to take my wolves to an unknown place or murder them in cold blood. I won't allow them to kill the only true family I'd ever known.
My name is Harper Blake, and I vow to claim and protect my own.
Faster. Faster. FASTER!
My legs felt like they were on fire as I ran as hard as I could. My heart hammered against my chest while my lungs struggled to keep up with my desperate need for oxygen. I couldn't stop; I wouldn't stop.
Stopping meant I'd be dead.
The last of my family's name would be removed from the earth thanks to the two men who were chasing after me. The men who murdered my family in cold blood.
I didn't know what they wanted, my five-year-old self was still trying to process watching the men kill my family one by one. I was stupid. Should have stayed quiet, but the little whimper that escaped me when they killed my mother gave me away.
Now I was running, clinging to the ancient blade my parents told me to protect, with the pendant Mommy told me to always wear, and the only picture I could grab before I jumped out the window and ran into the forest.
Running had always been my favorite activity, but in this case, if I didn't run any faster, I wouldn't get to enjoy it anymore.
A loud sound burst through the air, making me shriek and run harder than I thought possible.
I can't die. Mom said I have to protect our legacy. What is the legacy?! Why are these men here? Where are you, Mommy? I need help. I can't run for much longer. I can't-
A second loud sound rang through the air, but this time I screamed, feeling something run right through me. I could feel the air I tried to keep inside me begin to leak out as something warm drenched my white dress.
If I thought running was hard, whatever just happened to me made the world spin, and my pace lessen.
No. Must keep going!
I pushed myself to my limit, running until I realized I was too close to a cliff. I skidded to a stop, but another loud sound rang out and my body jerked forward as I gasped, another item running through me and leaving a hole in its wake.
My body fell over the edge, and I couldn't protect myself from the fall, crashing into the ground and hearing things crack that I knew shouldn't have.
Pain. Lots and lots of it. This wasn't like when I fell down and scraped my knee, or when I'd gotten sick and even sneezing hurt. The pain was crippling and the warm liquid that pooled beneath left me feeling weaker and colder.
Why is the warm liquid leaving my body? What is it? I'm cold. Why is it leaving when I need to stay warm? Mommy, everything hurts. Help me.
I heard footsteps from above, and I shut my eyes tightly, staying as motionless as possible. If I remained still, they wouldn't see me. I'd be invisible just like Daddy said. I wouldn't make a sound again. I'd stay and wait until I was alone.
"She fell over the cliff," a man with a rough voice declared. There was another set of footsteps and a loud sigh.
"You weren't supposed to shoot her, idiot!" the authoritative voice shouted.
"She was going to get away!"
"She's dead now! Defeats the fucking purpose."
"Let's get out of here. These parts are dangerous at night with those damn wolves."
"Shouldn't we finish the job?"
"She'll die. There's no one here for miles. She'll get mauled by the wolves, and if they find her body they'll assume she was attacked by an animal. We'll tell boss she killed herself or something. No one will know," the authoritative voice suggested.
"Fine. Done chasing her anyways. We could have just shifted and got this over with quick. Too bad. She's a fast runner."
"Hmph. She's dangerous. Look how hard it was to kill the boy. If she lived, we'd be screwed. Let's go. We don't want to leave any evidence behind."
Their footsteps faded, but I didn't move. To be honest, I didn't think I could move. Minutes passed, and I remained in place, terrified to open my eyes and see the men who wanted to kill me.
Mommy. Daddy. Brother. Why aren't you here? I'm in pain. It hurts.
With a bit of courage, I opened my eyes and looked around. The men were gone. I decided to turn onto my stomach, but a slight movement made the pain worse.
I need help. I have to find someone to help me and my family. Someone...
With gritted teeth and muffled screams, I turned over and rested on my stomach. It was then my eyes landed on the pool of dark liquid; the metallic scent tickled my nose and made me scrunch my face in fear and disgust.
Blood...my blood...
The realization sent panic through me, and I figured if I didn't get help soon, I wouldn't be able to get help for my family. I used all my upper body strength to drag my lower half that felt numb.
Faster, faster. Pull and drag. Pull and drag.
Thinking the motion out helped me drag further and further, my body growing numb with each movement to th
e point I couldn't feel the twigs and moist ground of the forest.
My vision blurred, thanks to my tears and exhaustion, but my burning desire to live was stronger and I kept going.
Forward. Forward. That's all I need to do. Just keep going. I'll find someone. I have to.
I didn't know how long or far I dragged my body through the thick forest, but it was becoming hard to breathe, the air leaving my body from the two holes.
My body felt heavy, making it difficult for me to drag myself anymore. I tried and tried, but it was like I'd stopped working. My limbs had no feeling at all, but my mind buzzed as I began to choke.
I coughed hard, the action prompting blood to escape my mouth and onto the ground. I stared at it, and a prickling wave of fear ran through me as I realized...
I'm dying.
I blinked a few times, thinking I must have been dreaming or stuck in a nightmare, but as I laid there in the cool night surrounded by trees and wilderness, I knew I wasn't.
This is real. I'm dying. I can't save my family. I can't help them...
I clamped my teeth together to roll onto my back, realizing it might have been a bad move as blood began to fill my mouth. I turned my head to the side, letting it drain out as tears streamed down my cheeks.
Why did they kill them? What did we do? We were good people. Mommy saved animals. Daddy was a leader. Brother wanted to do what Mommy did. He wanted to lead and save animals who were being hunted. Was being good bad? Did we do something bad?
I lifted my head to stare at the stars, my gaze landing on the large full moon that looked so pure and beautiful. Even with my blurry vision, I could still see it.
I heard a loud, long sound, and I would have probably flinched if I could have. It sounded like an animal, a dog or even a wolf?
The thought alone made more tears run down my cheeks, understanding my current predicament would either be me dying from all the blood I'd lost, or a wolf eating me for dinner.
Dinner.
We had our last meal together. My family and I all laughing and smiling. I told them about my dream to help animals. I wanted to heal them like Mommy and be a leader to protect them like Daddy. Brother said he'd teach me too. We were going to do it together. How did it come down to this?
I waited for my death, turning my head to spit out more blood. I got so tired of the frequent head turns, that after my fifth time I decided it would be my last.
I missed my family. I wanted to go home and be tucked into my bed and be read stories by Mommy and Brother. I wanted to get good night kisses from Daddy and hugs from each of them. I just wanted to do good and be happy.
My lip trembled from the cold, and my eyes began to feel heavy. I fought to keep them open as I heard a low growl.
The rustling sounds of bushes and the breaking of branches made me realize something or someone was here, but it was too late.
Death was where I was headed, and a little part of me hoped my family was dead so I could meet them.
They were dead. I had to just accept it. They were murdered and there was no way I'd be able to get payback.
I moved my hand to the tiny pouch that had been strapped around me, using the bit of strength I had to pull out the dagger I had been entrusted to protect. Either I'd protect myself or finish the job. Those were the only two options I had.
I heard another growl, this one loud, and more tears ran down my cheeks as I prepared for death. Something licked my forehead, the action gentle rather than painful.
My eyes opened slowly, the blurry image clearing for just a moment to see a pair of bright silver eyes that glowed.
A wolf...
I didn't know if it was its eyes or the way the moonlight shone down on us, but it looked sad for me.
Sad that I was going to die.
With a deep breath and a hint of rejuvenated energy, I raised my hand. Just a touch.
Feeling the soft fur of the wolf made me smile, a final tear running down my cheek as I whispered. "Soft,”
I stroked the dark brown and white fur, wishing I could have lived longer to see its full beauty, but as my eyes began to close, my hand went limp, falling back to my side.
Life wasn't fair. The bad people always got their way. I just wanted to save the animals. I wish...I could stay.
Bye Wolfie…
ABOUT YUMOYORI WILSON
Yumoyori Wilson is a full-time author who has a “slight” addiction to bubble tea.
She previously was a Pediatric Registered Nurse, working her night shifts away and reading her kindle during her breaks. She decided to take the chance at becoming an author and is now working on multiple projects in various genres, including Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy, Sci-Fi, and more.
She lives in Toronto, Ontario and loves to bother her lovely Mother (also known as her Queen) and has many projects and plans for her readers.
~Books by Yumoyori Wilson~
THE STARLIGHT GODS SERIES:
Dark Wish
Tainted Rose
RYDER
Poisonous Dream
DANIEL
Forgotten Fairytale
Forgotten Fairytale 2
ELIAS (Spring 2019)
PARANORMAL INC SERIES:
Visionary Investigator
Visionary Awakened
HOLIDAY SERIES:
Visionary Christmas
Starlight Christmas
Visionary New Years
EARTHALA SERIES (COMPLETE):
Visionary X Starlight- Chapter One
Visionary X Starlight- Chapter Two
Visionary X Starlight- St. Patricks Day
CRIMSON STORM SERIES (COMPLETE):
Taming the Storm
Calming the Storm
Facing the Storm
SOUL DANCER OF HOMATOMASHI SERIES:
The Legend Of Crimson Storm (April 6th 2019)
BRIGHTEN MAGIC ACADEMY SERIES (COMPLETE):
Reflections of You
Reflections of Me
Reflections of Us
BRIGHTEN ELITE SERIES:
Prequel- YEAR II (Spring 2019)
BLOODY DESIRE SERIES:
Seduce My Blood
Seduce My Heart
Seduce My Soul
Seduce My Love (January 20th 2019)
UNICORN BLESSED CHRONICLES:
Celestia
Celestia 2
Celestia 3
Celestia 4
Celestia Christmas (December 16th 2018)
FAMILIAR BLESSED CHRONICLES:
Arielle Rainbow
Arielle Rainbow 2
Arielle Rainbow 3 (Spring 2019)
REAPERS OF BEAUTY SERIES:
One Thousand & One Lies
One Thousand & Two Lies
One Thousand & Three Lies (Spring 2019)
CLAIMING MY PACK:
Wolf Tamer
Work Seeker (December 2nd 2018)
Wolf Lover (February 17th, 2019)
DESTINY JINN SERIES:
Wish for Me
Wish for Me 2 (January 19th 2019)
CHRISTMAS STANDALONE:
Dirty Secret Santa (December 15th 2018)
One Thousand and Two Lies (Reapers of Beauty Book 2) Page 14