“This,” Julia said, hauling the old woman to her feet, “is the Great Wolf, the leader of all the packs in the country. She is supposed to be an unbiased party. But tell me, where was she for us lone wolves?” she growled, raising her voice.
The lone wolves booed again.
“This is bad,” Eva whispered. Bradley looked at her.
“She wasn’t there for us,” Julia declared with a snarl. She glared at the Great Wolf, nearly holding her aloft. “This old crone has been there to keep traditions and politics in tact when we needed change. She’s been a symbol of the past, keeping us from our glorious future.”
“I know what you want to do,” the Great Wolf murmured. “But it will not have the intended consequences you’re looking for. If you kill me, you will fall.”
Julia blinked and then laughed. “Big words for someone in your position!” she cried. “But you can’t stop time. And yours is up,” she said.
She threw the Great Wolf down to the ground. As the old woman hit the earth, she rolled, the cloak floating around her. Before Eva’s very eyes, the old woman transformed into a huge gray wolf, landing on her feet to face Julia. The wolf stood as tall as Julia, making her even taller than Eva. The wolf exuded raw power. It took Eva’s breath away as the air vibrated with it.
Now she knew why they called her the Great Wolf.
Julia grinned. A tranquilizer dart hissed through the air from one of the rogue wolf’s guns, striking the huge wolf in the flank. The Great Wolf roared.
Julia circled as the Great Wolf fell to its knees. Her eyes glowed as her wolf nature showed through. “Welcome to the new age, bitch,” she growled.
Julia lunged at the wolf and, her teeth gnashing into the fragile area of the gray wolf’s throat. Then Julia tensed up and jerked her head back, taking the gray wolf’s throat with her. Thick red blood sprayed over her as the Great Wolf collapsed to the ground.
“Heal from that,” Julia said, spitting out the hunk of flesh from her mouth. She wiped her face with her arms.
“No,” Bradley sobbed. “No...”
Julia sneered and wiped off the blood with the back of her hand. “The Great Wolf is dead.”
Eva watched all of this in horror. She hadn’t been a werewolf for much longer than a day, and here she had just witnessed the death of the leader. Her heart was pounding. The gray wolf’s big eyes met hers and she watched the light leave as the Great Wolf died.
Eva’s body suddenly seized and she threw her head back with a cry. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she passed out.
***
You have not been a werewolf for very long, have you my dear?
Eva opened her eyes. She was standing in a blanket of white. It felt both infinite and claustrophobic at the same time. The only word to describe it was “nothing”.
Little more than a day. The voice seemed amused, familiar. Eva then recognized it as the Great Wolf’s. You haven’t been corrupted by the politics of our race.
Eva turned around, and where there had been nothing before was the gray wolf watching her with her great golden eyes.
“Your grace,” Eva whispered.
Not anymore, the wolf told her. My time as the Great Wolf has passed.
“So they’ve won?” Eva asked, feeling all hope leave her body.
No. Not yet. The wolf closed the distance between them. I saw you at the meeting this morning. An Omega among those who thought they were too good for their own roles. Your soul is as pure as snow. You’ve led a great life as human. And you will lead an even greater one as a werewolf.
Eva shivered. “What do you mean?”
The wolf regarded her. I’ve chosen you as my replacement, Eva Navarro. You will lead us into another era. I’ve been the Great Wolf for too long. It’s time for someone else.
“No,” Eva said softly. “I don’t want that.”
Then Julia has already won and she will kill all of you, love. Including Jon. The wolf put its huge muzzle in Eva’s hands. She doesn’t know that by killing me, the cycle will continue. There must always be a Great Wolf. And you are the best candidate.
“What does that mean?” Eva cried.
You will assimilate my powers. You will go beyond Alpha and Omega. You will bring balance to our kind. Please do this, Eva.
Eva stroked the wolf’s head, thinking. She had to save her friends.
And she had to save Jon. That thought alone was enough for her to make her decision.
“Alright,” she whispered. “I will.”
***
Jon watched as his mate threw her head back and screamed. She collapsed to the ground, convulsing wildly. He struggled against his chains, but they held him fast. “Eva!” he cried helplessly.
He watched as Julia turned towards the woman who had interrupted her moment of glory. “What’s she doing?” Julia demanded. “What happened?”
She glared around the clearing, as if someone had done it. The woman stalked over to Eva, grabbed her by the shirt and brought her to her feet. She backhanded Eva, whose head snapped to the side, but Eva remained unresponsive. Jon yelled out in anger, still trying to do something, anything to stop Julia from assaulting his mate. He had failed her. He was unable to protect her.
“Do you know this wolf?” Julia yelled at Jon. She held out Eva like she was an offensive spider. “Do you know what’s wrong?”
Jon grimaced and shook his head. “She’s my mate,” he said through gritted teeth.
Julia inspected Eva and then frowned. “Too bad for you then,” she said. And Jon watched in horror as she flung Eva aside and into a tree.
He yelled out again. In the state she was in, he had no idea what the impact would do to her. She could heal from a lot of things, but a broken neck could paralyze her. Or worse.
But she never struck the tree. Instead, a bubble of golden light enveloped her. The convulsions has ceased, her body suspended above the ground.
Julia snarled. “What the fuck?” she shrieked.
Within the golden sphere, Eva opened her eyes, although they weren’t her eyes. They were blindingly golden, much like the Great Wolf.
Immediately, Jon understood.
“Oh my God,” he whispered.
There must always be a Great Wolf.
The words whispered around the clearing, echoing in Jon’s skull. The voice was Eva’s blended with the voices of many others. He had no idea who they were.
In her trance, Eva raised her arm, and it immediately shifted into a werewolf’s claw. She moved, too fast for anyone to see, and tackled Julia to the ground. Julia screamed as the clawed hand ripped through her throat, spraying Eva with blood. She struggled for a few moments, gagging as blood filled her air passages.
Julia died underneath Eva.
But Eva wasn’t done. She stood, and Jon could see the entire clearing back away from her. She looked around and smirked as she snapped her fingers. Jon immediately felt his bonds loosen, giving him enough room to break free from them. He shed the chains and stood up, wary of whether or not he should approach her. The other prisoners were able to do the same. Bewildered, they rose to their feet.
Eva closed her eyes and let out a breath. A shock wave went out from her, moving around her allies to only strike the lone wolves. In unison they collapsed to the ground in a heap.
Jon took stock of the scene one last time before running over to Eva. As he approached her, she crumpled and fell. He only barely caught her.
Her eyes weakly fluttered open. “Is everyone safe?” she asked.
He nodded and kissed her forehead. “Yes,” he whispered. “I don’t know how you did it. But everyone is safe.”
She winced, bringing herself to a sitting position. “No,” she whispered. “Not everyone.”
Jon followed her gaze. She was looking at Huck and Annie. Huck had removed Annie’s chains, but the woman slumped forward, unconscious from blood loss. Huck was trying to revive her, but she wasn’t moving.
“Help me go ov
er there,” Eva said softly. Jon picked her up in his arms and brought her over to the couple.
“Huck,” he said, trying to get the young man’s attention.
Huck looked up, his eyes full of tears. “She won’t wake up,” he said. “She has a pulse, but she won’t wake up.”
Jon didn’t know what to say. They could call an ambulance to retrieve her, but he knew based on Annie’s complexion and labored breathing that it would be too late. Despite the fact that she could heal, Annie had been restrained by silver, which had impaired her supernatural abilities.
Carmichael was already on the phone trying to see if they could airlift her out of there. But it would still be too late.
“Let me see,” Eva said softly. She reached out towards Annie, but Huck blocked her with his body, unable to reason through his turmoil. “Please,” Eva added for emphasis.
Jon shivered at the power in her voice.
Huck acquiesced and finally let her near Annie. Eva closed her eyes and then opened them, and they were now that blinding gold color again. The air hummed around them with the power. She held Annie’s right arm in her hands and slowly moved them down the length of the limb. Her hands started glowing. They reached the severed wrist and stayed there while the glow grew in intensity until Jon had to look away.
The glow died, and Jon chanced another glance back. The humming around Eva stopped, and his mate blinked, revealing eyes were the same depthless brown they had always been. She slumped against his shoulder.
“She’ll be fine,” she whispered.
Then Jon saw what she had meant. It had taken him a few seconds, but once he saw it, he couldn’t believe his eyes.
Annie’s hand had grown back. She was whole again. Her color was returning to normal and her eyes fluttered open with one deep breath.
“Huck?” Annie whispered hoarsely. “Why are you crying?”
Her mate just hugged her to him in disbelief, rocking her back and forth.
“How did you do that?” Jon asked.
Eva gave him a tired smile. “I’m the Great Wolf now,” she said. She seemed proud. “I can do whatever I want.”
***
Gemma let Carmichael take care of rounding up the unconscious werewolves. After everything that had happened, she didn’t want to deal with any more punishments or facing any of her attackers. She just wanted there to be peace.
“They’re all tied up now,” Adam said. He had one arm wrapped about her shoulders as she walked. He kept looking around in case one of the lone wolves decided to awaken and try to stir up some trouble. Luckily no one did. “Now we just have to figure out what to do with them.”
“That was another close call,” Gemma told him. She placed a hand over her belly. “We’ll have to stop having those once the baby comes,” she said. “It’s not good for kids.”
“It’s not good for anyone,” Adam muttered. But there was humor in his voice as he placed a hand over Gemma’s belly. They stood there, and she thought about how grateful she was that they were safe. Her little family was going to be all right.
“I need to talk to Eva,” she decided. “Figure out what the hell that was back there.”
He chuckled. “Yeah, I’d like to know to. So I’m not ever on the wrong side of that.”
Eva looked up at them as they approached. Jon was fussing over her like a mother cat to her kitten. Gemma had to stifle a giggle at the thought. She’d never seen him like this before.
“That was amazing,” Gemma said, sitting down to talk to her.
Eva gave them a small wave and then grimaced. “Sorry, I’m not doing too much to help out with the clean up,” she said. “I’m still new to this.”
“New to what?” Adam asked as he crouched down to talk to her.
“She’s the Great Wolf now,” Huck chimed in. He sounded like he was in complete awe of Eva.
That was when Gemma noticed Annie’s right hand on Huck’s leg. Whole. Complete. “Oh my God, Annie, your hand!”
Annie gave her a weak smile. “Yeah,” she said sleepily. “I got it back. Eva found it for me.”
“I don’t know if I could do it again,” Eva admitted. “That took a lot out of me.” Gemma stared at her in amazement. She remembered the rumors that the Great Wolf had been a witch. She just never knew that they were true.
“Thank you,” Huck said. He clutched Annie to him. “From the bottom of my heart.”
“Mine too,” Annie added.
“And me,” Gemma said.
“And I guess me,” Adam said with a sigh. “Because if you hadn’t turned Super Saiyan on everyone, we’d be shit out of luck.”
Eva smiled. “Luis used to like Dragon Ball Z.”
Gemma had no idea what that meant, but Eva blinked as if the thought had finally occurred to her.
“Speaking of, where is he?” Eva asked, fighting to sit up. “Where’s my brother?” She sounded alarmed.
Gemma frowned, trying to run through all of the wolves she’d seen. None of them quite looked like Eva, but that didn’t mean anything. There were a lot of people out there that night. “We could see if he’s here.”
“Help me up,” Eva told Jon, and he helped her to her feet.
Gemma made a mental note that her childhood friend had found a good match. They seemed to coexist together perfectly, orienting themselves so that their personal bubbles always included the other one. Just like her and Adam, or Huck and Annie.
“Don’t wait for us,” Annie slurred. She burrowed into Huck’s chest. “I might just stay here.”
They walked over to the lone wolves.
“I realized it too late,” Eva told them. “He was an Alpha, the leader of his gang. When Julia contacted him, I think they both saw an opportunity to enact a coup.” She blinked back tears. “And he betrayed me when I accidentally found out what he was.”
The lone wolves were now tied up with the silver chains. There was a certain amount of justice in that, Gemma thought smugly. Although what to do with them, she had no idea.
Eva frowned as she scanned the crowd. “I don’t see Luis,” she whispered. Her hand held Jon’s in a white-knuckle grip.
“Maybe they’re still rounding them up?” Gemma offered.
“No,” Eva said. “I don’t think he’s here.” She laughed bitterly. “Just like him to run off and avoid punishment.”
Gemma could see that it was tearing her up, and she wanted to hug her. But that wouldn’t bring back her brother. That wouldn’t explain why he had captured her and given her over to Julia. But she knew that Eva could take solace in the fact that she had someone now who could help support her through the times ahead.
“What are you going to do with them?” she asked, gesturing to the wolves.
Eva blinked at her. “What do you mean?”
Jon stepped in. “Gemma, I don’t think…”
“You’re the Great Wolf now,” Gemma explained, cutting him off. “The leader of all the wolves in the country. These wolves fall under your jurisdiction.” She saw the conflicted look on Eva’s face and tried easing her more into it. “I think you have more reason than anyone else here to determine their fates.”
Eva paled. “So I can...put them to death?” Gemma saw one of the wolves flinch at the question. Good, she thought angrily. Fear was what they deserved.
“You can,” she said. “Or you can choose something else.”
Eva stepped forward and looked at them, swaying on her feet. Jon moved to help her, but Gemma held up a hand blocking him. “This is her decision,” she murmured to him. He looked at her with surprise. “And her right.”
She knew that Eva would do the right thing.
Eva looked at them. “I...I want to do to you what you did to me,” she said. Some of the wolves looked up at her in fear. “But that would only put me down to your level. And I don’t want to start my life as the Great Wolf by ruling with torture and violence. I don’t want to punish any of you. I’ve been in your shoes before. I’ve been alone be
fore without hope. And I’m sure that’s what it’s like being a lone wolf. Being alone. Unable to trust anyone. But you can trust me—us—when I say that we’re fighting to change things in the world of werewolves. I don’t know much about it,” she admitted, her cheeks blushing. “But I do know that everyone deserves a second chance. Or third. Or fourth...”
Eva shook herself as if she realized she was rambling. “So I declare that you are to be assimilated back into your packs for evaluation. If you prove yourselves worthy, you can join them permanently. But if not...” She paused for emphasis. “Then you’re on your own again. Or worse. I’d imagine your leaders won’t be happy if you mess up another time.”
Good girl, Gemma thought. “We’re going to have a wonderful new Great Wolf,” she said proudly. She grinned and hugged the girl. “You did well for your first judgment.”
“I’m getting the feeling that it’s going to be the first of many,” Eva sighed, putting a hand to her forehead. “What else does the Great Wolf do?”
“Lots of things,” Gemma told her. She waggled her eyebrows at her. “Like have a happy ending with her handsome mate.” She nodded to Jon, who stood there stoically.
Eva flushed even deeper, clearly embarrassed. “You know about that?” she asked.
Gemma threw back her head and laughed. “Oh, you have so much to learn about our world, hun.”
CHAPTER 8
Gemma was grateful that she had another excuse to get a new dress for the wedding. After the first attack and her transformation, her dress had been ruined. This time, she opted for a simple empire-waist dress that allowed her belly to fill out the skirts. That way, no matter when she and Adam finally did get married, she would be able to fit in it.
Their wedding happened a week later though. It seemed that their ordeal had put everyone in an optimistic mood. After her capture, Annie and Huck had eloped at another chapel because they decided that life was too short. And based on the fact that Gemma had to watch Bradley for three days while they honeymooned, she was guessing that there was going to be another baby expected soon.
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