Chernobyl Werewolf, Team Greywolf Series, Book 2

by Eva Gordon

  “Not until I make you some hot cocoa. The real kind.”

  “What other kind would there be?”

  “Werewolves can’t have chocolate. Since I’m more human than most, I can tolerate it.”

  Rachel smiled. “At least I have something in common with one werewolf.”

  Cricket stirred the pot. “Don’t believe this crap that you and Lev can never be together. Slade and I heard the same thing and look, we are happily mated.” She sipped a sample and wiped her lips. “Then there’s Mia and Dominic.”

  “The major difference is my Chernobyl Werewolf can kill me with his mutant body fluids.”

  “Ooh. Enough with the medical visuals.” She poured mugs of hot chocolate. “Here.”

  Rachel sniffed the hot chocolate, bathing in the scent of pure and, without a doubt, expensive cocoa. “Yum. Where did the cook get this chocolate?”

  “Switzerland.”

  Rachel sipped. “Everything tastes so much better when it’s winter.” Even the hospital food had tasted surprisingly good. Then again I was starving like there was no tomorrow.

  “Although, this year we have had little snow. Must be climate change.”

  “Must be.”

  “You know being a Stallo woman you’re free to choose another alpha.”

  Rachel shook her head. “Nope. It’s Lev or no one.”

  “Well, I can’t say I blame you. I can’t imagine anyone but Slade. If you chose another alpha, I’m pretty sure Lev would rip him to shreds.”

  Rachel bit her lip. She’d seen what Lev did to team players at the gym. Imagine him in a jealous mood? “As soon as the rogue werewolves are taken care of, I’ll leave.”

  “As long as you occasionally meet with the warden and never blab about our kind, that’ll work.”

  “How big of a territory does one warden cover?”

  “We try to keep at least two per state, depending on the size of the state and location. We don’t have any in Hawaii, but five wardens in Alaska.”

  “And what if I decide on Hawaii or even Fiji?”

  Cricket curled up on the sofa with her mug and sighed. “Not allowed.” She cocked her head. “Although, we do have a warden who works Australia and New Zealand, since we have a few loners who moved there.”

  Would putting distance between her and Lev make breaking up easier? Yet, she refused to believe there was no other way to stay together. Not until she talked to Lev in person. “I might return to Oregon.”

  “Good. We have an excellent warden in the Oregon territory. In fact, he kept an eye on your father during his stay there.”

  Hmm. On her hikes around Howard’s property, she sensed someone watching her. “Do wardens watch you in human or wolf form?”

  “Depends on the situation, but usually human form.”

  Rachel looked at the clock. Almost midnight. She yawned. “I’m ready for bed.”

  “Are you sure you want to be alone?”

  “Yes. I plan to sleep until my appointment tomorrow. Darius wants to give me a follow up physical.”

  “I’ll take you.”

  “Actually, I told him I’d see him sometime in the early afternoon.”

  “That’s cool. After breakfast, we’re planning a surprise baby shower for Mia. You’re welcome to join us. We’ll be upside.”

  “The ranch house?”

  “Yep. Breakfast will be served as well.”

  “I’ll come by.”

  “Oh, I almost forgot.” Cricket took out a cell phone. “I got you a mobile and added a playlist for you, including all the Beatles music.”

  During her training, Rachel had shared her likes, including the Beatles. “Wow, first a coat and now a phone. Thanks.” She cocked her head, mimicking a common werewolf gesture. “Are you sure I’m allowed to have a phone?”

  “Rylee gave her okay. Just don’t call 911 or any other human outside our pack. I installed your father’s number, mine and a few other people you might want to call like Rylee and even Mia.”

  “Agreed. I’ll only call Rylee in case of an emergency.” As much as Rachel would have loved to talk to Maggie, she’d ask too many questions and the last thing she needed on her conscious was her friend’s death. She scrolled. “Who is CW?”

  Cricket smiled. “Shh. Chernobyl Werewolf. Our secret. I just thought you might want to tell Lev how bad you feel about the break up.”

  “If I do, Rylee will have your ass.”

  “Probably, but don’t worry about it.” Cricket put her mug on the counter. “Just promise you won’t beg him to come back. It will just make things a million times worse for him. Who knows? The lab might figure out a way for you to be with—Russian bear,” she said with a Russian accent.

  “Sounds hopeful.”

  “Oh, and when you come upside wear your new coat. You will look cute.”

  Cute for who? “If you say so.”

  Cricket left and Rachel sighed in relief. No way in hell was she breaking up with Lev unless it was face to face. She got ready for bed, fluffed the pillow and lay in the Lev-sized bed; she hit play on her new phone’s playlist. The first song to come on was the Beatles, “Back in the USSR.” Rachel rolled her eyes. Very funny, Cricket. Still, she didn’t skip it. Instead, she fantasized about being with Lev as he took on a tour of the Kremlin. Holding her pillow as if it was her big bear of a man, she fell into a deep slumber.

  Lev narrowed his eyes at Lunara as she stood before them, the king and esteemed members of the council. In an ancient ceremony, she’d spent the entire night communing with the dead. Chandra, the blonde alpha princess and her human pet, Professor James Clayworth sat behind Lunara at a table that held ancient manuscripts and leather-bound books. The tall raven-haired wolf shaman looked pale. Her experience visiting the afterlife even left a scent of decaying corpse. Yet, no other werewolf reacted to the odor. Perhaps, he detected it because of his enhanced sense of smell. A reminder of the enemy beta’s bite that triggered a rotting infection as he healed.

  Lunara briefly locked eyes with him, before addressing the pack. “I have traveled the beyond and connected with Svetlana’s restless soul. She is dead. Murdered.”

  The audience murmured. Some claimed justice, others in shock and yet others doubting the word of the shaman. Lev knew she spoke the truth.

  King Conan stood. “Murdered? By the rogue pack?”

  “Yes.”

  “What did you see while in your trance?” asked the king.

  “Blood, blood moon and bones.”

  The king furrowed his brows. “Explain.”

  Lunara’s breathing grew rapid as if recovering from a sprint. Suddenly, her body convulsed, but just as quickly returned to normal. Her eyes darkened to black and she fixed her gaze on Lev. She pointed at him and spoke in Russian. In Svetlana’s voice, she said “Your precious mate will meet the same end.”

  Lev growled and leapt toward her, but as he reached the stage, Lunara collapsed into the arms of Chandra who had raced to her aid. The alpha female took her pulse and then gently patted her face. “Lunara, wake up.”

  The shaman’s eyes opened. She growled and snapped at Chandra, who leapt away. Lunara glanced around as if waking from a nightmare and shook her head. “I’m so sorry. I was possessed.”

  “By Svetlana’s dark soul,” said Lev.

  The king approached. “Yes, the creature spoke in Russian, what did she say?”

  Lunara turned to Lev “Please, translate.”

  He spoke, his fangs still extended. “She said my mate would meet the same manner of death.”

  King Conan shook his head. “That’s just like the bitch to return from the beyond and spew her hatred toward you for killing her mate and son.” He sighed. “The pack only wants her for breeding.”

  Lunara allowed Chandra to lift her. Still weak, she sat on a chair “No, my liege. I’m afraid not.” She turned to the human. “Will you grant permission for Professor James Clayworth to explain, sir?”

  The king nodded to t
he human. “Granted.”

  James stood, bowed to the king and cleared his throat. “Since I joined Chandra’s pack, I left my university post to study your history and especially Stallo’s ancient manuscripts and grimoire, including Stallo’s book of necromancy.”

  “You what?” said the king, his tone fierce.

  Lev knew little of the lycan’s history of magic, except Stallo’s book on necromancy had been forbidden and sealed away, if it still existed.

  Lunara turned to the king. “My lord, I gave him permission for research purposes, but then realized it was related to the case of the rogue werewolf and to Andrew Joki, the human who works for them as a warlock.”

  Everyone talked at once. A few growled, demanding death to Andrew Joki.

  The king glared. “Silence. Let us listen to what James has to say.”

  James bowed. “Thank you, my lord. We received word from Rylee’s archivist about the unsolved disappearances of human women with the Stallo blood type over the years. He mentioned some of these women vanished during the time of a lunar eclipse. Lunara said moon eclipses were once of importance for fertility and rituals involving necromancy, the raising of the dead. Because of the kidnapping attempt on Rachel and Svetlana’s disappearance, Lunara gave me permission to study the ancient manuscript. The one in our keep is a replica of the original, which we believe is in the hands of the rogue pack and their human warlock.”

  Lev’s tone simmered with anger. “What does the book have to do with Rachel?”

  James blanched, but continued. “Stallo wrote the blood of his offspring could be poured over the bones of lycan dead on the lunar eclipse, raising them back to life.”

  Lev stiffened. “They want Stallo women for sacrifice and not breeding?”

  “I’m afraid so. Of all the innocent women they sacrificed, only one turned out to be a Stallo woman, an alpha’s human mate who disappeared in the 70s. If the magic is true, only her blood worked to raise the dead. Svetlana was sacrificed a month ago, but we don’t know how many her blood raised. A dozen or perhaps thousands. All we know is in a few days we have yet another lunar eclipse. A rare total lunar eclipse.”

  Rylee asked Lunara, “Did Svetlana offer a clue where?”

  “I’m sorry. She blocked me. Her dark spirit wanted vengeance against Lev, by allowing the sacrifice of his beloved mate.”

  Even in death the bitch sought to destroy him. Lev needed to get back to Rachel. The LIA headquarters was the safest place on earth, but a mole had already penetrated their defenses. If the enemy had enough lycans and anti-werewolf weapons and devices to render their kind helpless, security could be breached.

  Rylee must have picked up on his thoughts. “I’ll contact Slade and Dominic to make sure Rachel and Mia are under guard 24/7.”

  The king raised a brow. “Yes, once the lunar eclipse is over, send Team Greywolf to find them and kill them all.”

  Rylee sighed. “Unfortunately, they could be anywhere around the globe. The only way—never mind, that’s too risky.”

  “What, ma’am?” asked Lev.

  “If we could ask Rachel to lure them in, but no. Too dangerous.”

  Heat flushed through his body, but he remained in control. “Agreed.” She is mine and I will not permit Rylee or my king to place her in danger.

  “Well then, you have my blessing to do what it takes to protect your mate,” said Rylee.

  Lev lifted a brow and nodded. My mate, only until I see to her safety.

  Rachel woke and gasped. The nightmare had seemed so real. Her pillows and sheets thrown on the floor. Her entire body covered in perspiration, she sat and every muscle ached as if she’d lifted weights all night. Her head pounded, but the pain slowly subsided. A hangover without drinking. Was it related to the horrible nightmare? She reached for a bottle of water and drank every bit of it. The muscle aches diminished and she got up. She recalled snippets of the horrible dream.

  At the sound of howls, Rachel had suddenly appeared in the middle of a forest. Her friends, Cricket, Slade, Rylee, Lev and many more she’d not known by name stripped. They transformed into large snarling wolves. They growled at her. Hungry growls. The next moment, they huddled around a kill. A female elk. Her neck broken, eyes glazed. A she-wolf waited for Rylee and the other alphas to take the first bite. Rylee gave her permission and the she-wolf ripped through the elk’s intestines. She growled in pleasure and swallowed them as if feasting on spaghetti. Rachel recalled covering her eyes and when she opened them again, the other wolves had joined in, but now instead of an elk they feasted on a woman. Lev had ripped off her thigh and gnawed on it, making satisfying grunts. The female cocked her head at the black wolf and he nudged the thigh toward her. The woman was so torn all Rachel could make out was her long golden curls. They were feasting on me. Before she dared a closer look, she woke.

  Realization hit her like a ton of bricks. This is why Howard wanted her to leave. Lev had shown her a little bit of his animal side during sex, but someday he might kill her. A savage accident when his wolf lost control. But worse, Lev’s bite had poisoned her. After all this rogue werewolf pack business ended, she would leave lycan society. Not say a word about the lycan society, meet with the warden periodically and return to practicing medicine.

  Famished, Rachel fried four eggs and cooked an entire package of bacon. Her metabolism was on overdrive. Later, she planned to meet with Darius and re-test her blood and discuss the scans. I’m definitely not back to normal as he’d thought. After breakfast, she dressed to meet Cricket in the ranch house.

  Rachel took the elevator and pushed the button labeled Ranch. The wall opened into the living room and she stepped out. She looked through the glass window and smiled.

  Rachel recognized Cricket’s coyote-size gray wolf and Slade’s massive white wolf form. They played in the snow near the barn. She envied their happiness. Rachel cared enough for Lev to set aside her jealousy and hoped he too would someday find the right she-wolf to replace her. Three lycans guards armed with semiautomatic rifles stood on the porch. They looked human, cowboy hats, snow jackets and black military snow boots.

  Commander Trevor sat reviewing paperwork with a team of men in the large living room. She would love to know why they looked so serious. None of her business. The less she knew the better.

  Rachel walked into the kitchen area, grabbed a mug and poured herself coffee. She settled on a sofa near the window and viewed buffalo leisurely eating hay the ranch hands had just brought out. Last night, Cricket insisted she wear the green hooded jacket before heading upside. It wasn’t as bulky as her snow jacket, but lighter and cuter with a faux fur lined hood and cuffs. Something she would have worn in college. She thought of just wearing a wool pullover, but happy she’d worn her new coat after all. The huge mini-mansion had only a fireplace as heat. Thick skinned lycans apparently didn’t need to waste energy on heating their abode. Rachel reached into her pocket and took out her mobile. She scrolled down to CW. Had he already left? She put it away. Cricket was right. No point in tormenting Lev with one last goodbye. Breaking up with an alpha who had claimed her wasn’t like breaking up with a human man. I’m into him, but for my health I’ve no choice.

  A big lycan wearing a Team Greywolf uniform came in. Almost as tall as Lev, he had grey eyes, brown hair with specks of red and moved with the strength and confidence of an alpha. Probably was. Cricket said after a while she would pick up on their status.

  The lycan stepped outside and shouted, “Slade, Cricket, get your asses in here.”

  Immediately, they ran toward the side entrance, the werewolf mudroom, where one could hang their clothes before shifting.

  The handsome man went up to Trevor, who stood at attention. The man must be his commanding officer. They talked in whispers. Rachel tilted her head. She caught them saying something about, “Get her to Rylee’s war room.”

  Cricket came in dressed in her black form fitting uniform and approached her while Slade joined the other armed men. �
�Hey, we need to get you below.”

  “Why? What’s going on?”

  “Steele,” she pointed her chin toward the good-looking alpha, “just got word from Rylee that we need to carry out Operation Gene Marker.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Protect all Stallo women. Dominic, Mia and his men will return here from their island later this evening.”

  “So I take it that means no baby shower prep.”

  “Postponed indefinitely. Especially since Mia and her baby daddy will arrive soon.”

  The lights in the dining area flicked off.

  Slade growled as he stared at some panel. “Fuck.”

  Cricket grabbed Rachel, practically picking her up and dragged her toward Slade and the other were soldiers staring at some security screen. “What’s wrong, hon?”

  Slade frowned. “Power is out and our anti-LRAD is down.”

  Trevor took out his mobile. “Manny, can you fix the breach? How long will it take? Fuck. Get us back on the grid!”

  Slade turned to Trevor. “How much time does he need?”

  “Should take ten minutes or more.”

  Rachel frowned and sputtered, “Anti-LRAD? Cricket, what is going on?”

  “Stands for long-range acoustic device. We are vulnerable to sonic weapons.”

  “So we’ll be safe underground?”

  “Not from a sonic weapon, but we could hide you.” She grabbed Rachel’s arm. “We’ll need to take the tunnel instead of the elevator.”

  “What about ear plugs?” asked Rachel as she kept pace with Cricket.

  Cricket opened her mouth to speak, but fell to her knees covering her ears. Not alone, every single lycan fell to the ground, in obvious pain, then dead to the world.

  Rachel flinched at the sound of a high-pitched whistle. Painful, but not bad enough to knock out a human. Her heartbeat drummed as she heard a helicopter coming in. The whistle hurt, but she knelt and took Cricket’s pulse. Alive, but unconscious. “Cricket, wake up.” Nothing.

  Her nerves screamed, Run! Where? The barn. If she made it through the secret underground entrance, there might be a place to lock herself in and hide. Howard might know. How would she navigate without a flashlight?