The Wolfborne Saga Box Set

by Cheree Alsop

  “That’s too bad,” I said levelly.

  One of the women gave me a wink and another smile. “And that explains our need to hunt within our ranks. We can’t help it if they send us the handsome ones.”

  I felt the heat of a blush begin to creep across my face and sighed inwardly at how readily human emotions showed.

  “Werewolf, huh?”

  The man’s tone made me turn. He stood at least a head taller than me and wore dark blue with a patch that said Shifter Division. The small hairs on the back of my neck lifted at the whisper that perhaps he was the one keeping an eye on my pack.

  “I’m a werewolf,” I replied. “What of it?”

  It may have been foolhardy given his size and the fact that he had a gun in the holster on his hip, but I hated bullies. I turned to face him squarely.

  He gave a snort of laughter. “A tough guy, huh? I’ve met enough of your type.”

  The way he said it made the word distasteful, and his mouth gave a sour twist. His shoulders tightened. It was just the tiniest movement, but enough to tell me he was about to attempt to cut me down a notch.

  “I think that maybe—” he began.

  When he threw the punch, I was ready. I deflected his fist with both of my hands, ran my right fist up his arm for a quick chop to the neck, then ducked under his arm. Holding onto his wrist, I kicked one of his legs as I ducked and sent him over my back to the floor. I flipped him with a jerk of his arm and landed on his back with a knee to the spine. In less than five seconds, I had an arm around his neck and was pulling him back to the point of what I knew was excruciating pain.

  A grunt of surprise escaped him.

  Kill him, the Master’s voice beckoned in my mind. Make an example. Teach them what being a werewolf means. Make them fear you.

  I gritted my teeth and forced the voice away. The Master was dead. As much as my limbs trembled to obey him out of habit, I was stronger than he had been. I refused to let him win.

  Coward.

  A snarl escaped me at the word that echoed in my head.

  Silence filled the cafeteria. Soldiers crowded forward, leaning over the tables and others who were seated. The tension that filled the air was the electrical kind. I had felt it many times before in the Lair. It took one wrong move to ignite every member of a faction into fighting. I doubted the Captain would appreciate an all-out brawl during my first dinner at the Division.

  “Now you’ve met enough of my type,” I said into the man’s ear.

  I pushed him down and stepped away. I was careful to keep an eye on those around me in case any of the other soldiers decided to avenge their friend. I hoped that by letting him go, it would diffuse the situation, but the outcome remained on the man’s shoulders.

  I could still feel his pulse beneath my arm. It would have taken a quick jerk to make his spine snap beneath my knee. I willed my hands to uncurl from fists so tight the tendons stood out in my arms. I sucked in a breath through my nose and let it out through my mouth while keeping an eye on the man. If he chose to fight back, I would be ready.

  The man pushed up to his hands and knees. His breathing rattled hard through the throat I had bruised. His head hung as he sucked in one breath, then another. I smothered the urge to knock him out with a swift punch to the back of the head and held out a hand instead.

  With the last gulp, a strangled laugh escaped the man. He grabbed my hand. I pulled him easily to his feet. As soon as he let go, I took two steps back to give me room to act in case he attacked again.

  He shook his head, glanced at a table full of other blue-uniformed individuals, and turned back to me. “That was impressive.”

  I crossed my arms. “I can do it again.”

  He gave a wry chuckle at that. “I believe it.”

  I took a step forward and he held up a hand. “I’m good.”

  Laughter broke out across the cafeteria.

  The man extended his hand. “Intelligence may not be my department, but I know it’s smarter to make peace with those who can defeat you rather than enemies. Shake on it?”

  I glanced over and saw my table watching. Fray’s frown was balanced by Virgo’s grin. He nodded and gave me a not-so-subtle thumbs up. Riot and Serian caught the warlock’s gesture and did the same. I fought back a smile at my proud crew. It felt strange to be the cause of their pride.

  “Truce,” I said, holding out my hand.

  He grabbed it and shook it heartily. “Glad to hear it. No hard feelings?”

  “Not unless you try to jump me again,” I replied.

  “I think I learned my lesson,” he said. He gestured toward his table. “Next time, it’ll be with a few more of us.”

  My small smile faded, but his resulting laugh turned it into a joke.

  “I’m kidding. I learn from my mistakes. I’m Jack.” He nodded toward his table. “Those are the Shifter Crew.”

  “Zev,” I replied. I motioned toward my table. “Demon Crew.”

  He walked with me to my team’s table and leaned over to shake Kai’s hand. “We’re acquainted. They got us out of a tight spot a few years back.”

  “Sutter warned you about that one,” Kai told him.

  Jack rolled his eyes. “Don’t remind me. How’s he doing?”

  Kai’s smile fell. “Not good. He’ll be in the infirmary for a few weeks at least.”

  “You’re short an info tech,” Jack noted.

  It was Fray’s turn to nod. “On the lookout. Know anyone?”

  “I’ll keep an ear out,” Jack replied. He tipped his head at me. “Watch over this one. He’s not half bad.” He grinned. “Although I have a feeling he can take care of himself.”

  “He does,” Riot said.

  The weapons’ specialist twirled his fork between his fingers. I gave an appreciative nod at that fact that he used the technique I had showed him. He grinned. “Skills,” he said.

  “Keep it up,” Jack replied.

  I took a seat next to Virgo and watched the big man go back to his table.

  “You make interesting friends,” Kai noted.

  I glanced at the older man. “It seems to be a talent.”

  Virgo pushed a tray of lasagna and salad my way. “This is yours.” An embarrassed look crossed his face. “I only took one bite.”

  The missing corner of the lasagna was obvious. I chose to overlook it. “Thanks.”

  The first bite reminded me of the Willards’ house and Mrs. Willards’ cooking. I ignored the feeling of homesickness that rose with the flavor and took another forkful. They were safer without me there. If it protected my pack, I could survive some time at the Division fighting demons and defending my team. At least it was a job I was qualified for.

  We returned to our quarters as a team. Though I caught several of them casting questioning glances at the hole in the wall, nobody chose to comment. Fray stalked straight to her room without another word.

  “Not bad, right Zev?” Virgo asked.

  There was a hint of concern to his voice as though my opinion mattered. The fact that he still felt bad about shooting me was clear even if he didn’t say it aloud. I hadn’t exactly forgiven him, but I had never seen a grudge held that benefited either party.

  “It’s not bad,” I gave in. “The food was good.”

  His answering grin was contagious enough that I couldn’t help smiling in return.

  “Anyone up for cards?” Serian asked.

  “Count me in,” Riot and Kai said at the same time.

  “Give me a chance to win back my colt,” Riot said with a self-suffering sigh.

  “Good luck,” Serian told him. She turned to Virgo. “You in?”

  “I’ll watch so I can figure out the rules,” the warlock said.

  Serian glanced at me. “How about you, Zev? Ever play cards?”

  I shook my head. “Not really, but go for it. I think I’ll turn in.”

  She gave an understanding nod. “You deserve it. Catch you in the morning.”

 
; I watched them pull chairs up to one of the tables. Serian shuffled the cards like an old pro. Her green eyes shifted from side to side as if she was taking the size of her opponents the way I would in battle. A smile touched my lips at the thought that it was the same thing. I turned away and wandered down the hall to the room that had been assigned to me.

  The bed was too soft, so I ended up pulling the blankets onto the floor. The safety of the closed door and my scent from the towel beside it gave me a sense of wellbeing that wasn’t familiar but welcome. With my stomach full and the fatigue of battle filling my limbs, I fell almost immediately into a dreamless sleep.

  The siren that shattered my slumber sent a rush of adrenaline through me so strong I was up on my feet in a fighting stance before I even realized where I was. I put my hands over my ears to shut out the incessant whine and stared at the dresser, the chair, and the bed without recognizing it.

  A fist pounded on my door. “Zev, let’s go,” a voice shouted.

  I threw open the door to find Riot standing there in full uniform. “What’s going on?” I demanded.

  He pointed up at the whirling light of the siren on the ceiling. “Demon attack somewhere. Must be bad if the Captain’s calling the entire Division.”

  The howl of the siren shut off, but the lights continued to flash. The absence of the sound was deafening.

  I realized Riot was staring at me. “What happened to you?” he asked.

  I glanced down at my bare chest. The scars and burned marks stood out in stark contrast to my pale skin. “My own demons,” I replied.

  I left him staring after me and grabbed a demon crew black uniform shirt from the drawer. I pulled on a pair of black pants and shoved my arms through the shirt’s sleeves. When I pushed past Riot into the hallway, he turned and hurried after me.

  “So what’s the protocol for this?” I asked over my shoulder.

  “Gear up and meet in the assembly hall for the overview,” he replied.

  Virgo and Serian were just leaving the crew quarters. I was about to follow when Riot said, “You better bring boots. The Captain doesn’t take kindly to anyone showing up unprepared.”

  I glanced down at my bare feet. A wry smile touched my lips. “I guess pointing out that phasing while wearing combat boots is awkward?”

  “You’re the only werewolf here as far as I know,” Riot replied. “Good luck explaining it.”

  I jogged to the closet he indicated and pulled out a pair of socks and boots beneath a plaque with my name on it. By the time I had them tied, the man had already taken off up the hall, leaving me to catch up in the thick-soled clumpy shoes. I felt completely caught off-guard and out of my element. My nerves tingled at being so jarringly awoken from sleep. I debated whether to phase because I preferred fighting in wolf form, but figured I had better find out what the problem was before turning into a wolf.

  I reached the assembly hall to find it packed with two kinds of soldiers, those who were wide-eyed and running on adrenaline from the rude awakening, and the others who waited sleepily for the address. The latter appeared to be older soldiers, apparent veterans of being awoken in such a way. I wondered if I would get used to it. How many problems could there be in the middle of the night?

  Captain Roarsh entered from a back door and stopped in the middle of the stage.

  “There was an attack on a movie theater about fifteen minutes ago,” the Captain began without preamble.

  A hush settled over the crowd.

  “We know it’s demon,” he continued, looking around at the different companies, “But there may be more to it. We want to be prepared.” He pointed at a soldier I hadn’t met. “Sergeant Mills, your team’s on crowd control. Keep the news in the dark for as long as you can.”

  The group of gray-uniformed individuals nodded.

  Captain Roarsh gestured to a second group in dark blue. “Sergeant Mickey, you’ve got mop up.”

  Several of the crew looked unhappy at the assignment, but the woman he addressed nodded. “Will do, Captain.”

  Captain Roarsh speared the rest of the gathering with a look I had often seen at the Lair. It was commanding and calculating, guessing which of his soldiers would obey and daring those who would stray to try it while he was watching. It was an alpha look. I could respect it.

  “The rest of you, give precedence to the Demon Crew; if it’s a demonic threat only, see to their guidance to get rid of it with as few civilian casualties as possible.” His gaze roamed around the large room. “Neutralize the threat, stay clear of danger when possible, and don’t let yourself be photographed. The General’s tired of denying our existence. We don’t want to give him more to deal with than he already does, do we?” The Captain’s mouth twisted into a small smile as though his conclusion was part of a private joke.

  “No, Captain!” all of the men and women in the room yelled.

  “Good, then get going,” he barked. “Time is of the essence. Report when you return.”

  I soon found myself in the back of a large black truck facing Fray and Serian. Riot and Virgo sat on either side of me. Kai pulled the back door down and fastened it before taking a seat next to Serian.

  Riot rubbed his hands together. At my glance, he said, “Now you get to see what it really means to be on the Demon Crew.”

  “What was that earlier?” I asked.

  He shrugged. “It’s one thing to have to fight one at home or in a swamp. The real job is protecting citizens from the threat.” His dark eyes glittered. “That’s where the fun is.”

  “Fun?” Virgo asked from my other side. “Demon hunting is fun?”

  “In a manner of speaking,” Serian replied, throwing him a smile. “It’s better when we know what we’re up against; without Sutter, we’re a little blind, but we’ll figure it out.”

  “Exactly,” Kai said. “We’ve got this.”

  Despite their confidence, I didn’t like the unsettled feeling of hurtling toward the unknown. It didn’t help that the truck we rode in didn’t have windows. I felt at the mercy of wherever the Captain sent us. Having backup in the form of the other crews helped a little bit, but I didn’t know my own crew much better than the rest of them.

  “Here.” I looked up to see Serian talking to me. She held something in her hand. “Check it out.”

  I accepted the necklace. A talisman hung on it. A small, carved crystal was wrapped with three hairs and tied with a blue ribbon. When I brought it to my nose, the scent surprised me.

  “Wolf?” I asked with mixed emotions.

  She nodded. When I gave it back, she put it over her head with great reverence.

  “A witch gave it to me when I was young,” she said. She gripped the talisman in her hand. “She said a wolf would protect me at a time of great need.”

  The way the other crew members rolled their eyes or exchanged glances let me know that they didn’t put much stock into the woman’s necklace, but there was an earnestness to her expression that I couldn’t deny. I had also seen my share of the works of witches to doubt anything they said.

  I asked the question she seemed to be waiting for. “Do you think she meant me?”

  It felt ridiculous, and I was only slightly disappointed when she shook her head.

  “It already happened.”

  Silence filled the back of the truck.

  “What?” Fray finally asked. “When? You never mentioned it.”

  Serian shot her a knowing smile. “Because you never asked.” She speared the crew with a look. “Everyone thinks this is some sort of joke, but it happened just the way the witch said it would.”

  The team crowded closer in the truck. I realized I was just as eager as the rest of them to know how the witch had been right. I felt a bit protective of the wolf side of my ancestry; it seemed important to find out how they had played their part in the story.

  “It was a full moon,” the woman began.

  Riot interrupted to say, “So how do you know it wasn’t a werewolf? The
y’re wolves on the full moon.”

  Serian just rolled her eyes at him and said, “I knew, alright? Stop interrupting! I’m telling a story!”

  Riot held up his hands and scooted back a bit. At her accusing look, he took out one of his knives and began to twirl it through his fingers.

  Apparently satisfied that he was distracted, she cleared her throat and started again. “As I was saying, it was a full moon about two months ago. We were sent out to track that vanishing groud for the Captain. But once it reached the forest, we couldn’t find any sign of it.”

  “I remember that,” Fray said with a nod. “We searched for hours.”

  Serian ran a hand through her spikey blonde hair. “You split us up into pairs and I was with Sutter, but his computer was having issues and he ended up heading back to camp. I told him I’d continue looking because I was more help in the woods than sitting there waiting for him to fix the problem.”

  She shook her head and a slight shudder ran over her. “I was armed to the gills and prepared for anything demonic, but when I entered the next clearing, I was face to face with the one thing I hadn’t expected, a grizzly bear.” She glanced at me. “He had just a killed a deer and apparently thought I was planning to take it from him.” Her green eyes ran around the captivated group. “He rose on to his hind legs so that he was like four times my size and let out a roar so loud I think I still have hearing problems from it.”

  “What did you do?” Virgo asked in a horrified tone.

  “I shot it with my pistol, but since our orders were to bring the Vanishing Groud back for study, I was only loaded with tranqs. That thing took all six and barely slowed. It was nearly to me in the time it took me to unload the gun.”

  Again her eyes flicked to me. “I would have been killed except at that moment, two wolves charged right past me at the bear. Their barking, growling, and snapping was so furious the animal dropped back to all fours and eventually left the clearing.”

  “What happened then?” Kai asked.

  “Nothing,” Serian said. “The wolves went to the deer and began to eat it. They ignored me completely, so I slipped out of the clearing and hurried back to camp.”