“What’s the matter?” she asked, sensing his tension and reading through his silence.
“Nothing,” he said. “Let’s go. It is a little walk from here.”
He held her hand and proceeded to clear his way through the thick bushes. Her father was right. She couldn’t have found this place again even if she had tried. It was too well hidden. They had not gone far when Luke stiffened and spun around sharply. He could sense another presence close by. He sniffed the air and waited, and then relaxed. By the time he turned around again their path was blocked.
“Where do you think you are going?” asked Saul.
“Get out of the way,” demanded Luke, but Saul had no intention of doing that. He had already assumed a fighting position and Luke saw that the only way to get through him was to fight. He let go of Chrissie’s hand and ground his foot in the dirt, already beginning to transform, when they both turned, almost in slow motion.
“Someone else is coming. Who did you bring here?” he accused, looking at Chrissie all the while.
“No one. We didn’t carry any one with us.”
“He is right,” joined Luke. “And it isn’t just someone. There are several scents approaching us from the right.”
He could almost slap himself, but Saul did it for him. “This is your doing,” he fired. Luke was too frightened and embarrassed to retaliate. Right now they were in very real danger and they had to signal the others. Luke shoved Chrissie behind a tree as he and Saul transformed before her eyes, but by now, she was too frightened to be impressed.
They ground their heels into the dirt and stood forward, waiting for the attack. Saul rang out a loud howl, and before anyone could blink the wolves had descended, but so too had Derek and his henchmen. It had taken the shape of a showdown, and it wasn’t even noon.
CHAPTER TEN
Wes emerged from behind the pack of wolves, now standing only a few feet away from Derek. “Please take your men and go. This does not have to end like this. We have had enough bloodshed. You almost died the last time, and rest assured, you will not be so lucky this time.”
“Don’t be too sure of that,” spat Derek. “I have always wanted to find where you called home, and now thanks to my daughter I have. I intend to kill every last one of you.” The madness could be seen in his eyes now.
A low growl was heard now as the wolves bared their fangs, dying to taste human blood. Wes spun around to face Chrissie, who was screaming vehemently now. “No, no, no, I did not do this.” She turned to Luke now. “You have to believe me. Remember I wasn’t the one who asked to come here this time,” she pleaded frantically from behind the tree she stood partially hidden.
“Would you stop being so pathetic? How many times will you side with these beasts? I knew you could get him to show you where they come from, so I had a tracking device installed on your car. All it took was one phone call to realize you were headed into unknown parts. A few calculations later and here we are, so yes, thanks to you.”
Chrissie began to cry now, but that was useless. “Come to me child, for this is not going to be pretty.”
She didn’t move. “Very well then, if that is your wish.”
“Derek, I am warning you,” said Wes, even though now removing his shirt, the other wolves now rearing to attack. Derek dressed back, falling to where his men stood. Wes raised his hand and signaled the attack, and in a moment’s notice the forest was disturbed by the sound of clanging chains, steel on flesh and savage roars. Wes headed for Derek and jumped in the air, transforming mid leap and landed but a few feet away from him. The other wolves were now ripping the heads off some of the men.
Luke came down upon Samson, baring his teeth at him, walking in a slow steady pace. The man was big but Luke was a wolf after all, and even on all fours, he still towered above him. Samson kept his eyes steady on the young wolf and just as he was about to pounce, he cracked his whip and cut the underbelly of the wolf. Blood splashed in his face and he hastily wiped it, regrouped and pulled back the whip to crack it again. Luke was still recoiling from the wound, but now fury flashed in his eyes and he lifted a paw and brought it down upon Samson’s face. The man’s head practically made a one eighty turn, and his body twisted with the motion, landing him in the dirt. He lay there motionless for a few seconds, and as Luke towered over him, he made a sudden movement and thrashed, cutting the wolf on his hind leg with a metal device. He reached for a star like device which flashed silver and blue, but before he could swing it, Luke bent over and grabbed him in the neck, ripping it from his body. He tossed the head aside, and turned just in time to catch Raphael as he was hurled against him.
They both stood once more and continued their attack on the humans, who were now running scared through the woods. Wes was drawing menacingly close to Derek, who was now looking behind, frantic for an escape. Or maybe that was the ruse, for in an instant he flashed out his whip and sent it tearing across Wes’ face. Blood stained the plants close to his feet, and by the time he looked forward again, Derek was gone. He howled so loudly the forest rang out, and he bounded off this time, intent on ending this for good. Just as he was running, a stiff metal arrow caught him in his hind leg and brought him to the ground in a crash. He lay on the ground howling in pain, and just when Derek was about to sink his blue device now dripping with liquid silver into him, he pulled back and cried out in pain.
When he fell, Wes witnessed Chrissie standing behind him, blood dripping from a pocket knife she held. That was not enough to take down Derek, but it was more than enough to get Wes on his feet again. He would have to become human again to remove the metal in his calf, and as much as it now stung him to walk, he had to keep going at Derek. Chrissie now backed away, tripping as she did. Wes growled once more at Derek, and then man ran behind a tree, now hidden from view. Wes approached the tree with caution, ducking as he neared when the metal ring Derek threw narrowly missed him. He tore some bushed from his path and charged towards Derek.
Just then, from the corner of his eye, he witnessed a human creeping dangerously close to Luke, his hand raised. Wes temporarily forgot about Derek as he pounced towards the man, ripping his arm out. The man howled and Luke flashed around, totally oblivious to what he had just missed. He saw the man writhing on the ground, arm off and his brother standing there. He suddenly leapt over his head and landed a few feet from a man who was about to throw an arrow. He grabbed his neck and sank his teeth in until the man became as jelly and oozed to the forest bed. Luke now looked at Wes with a smirk and the brothers shared a momentary bond now that they had just saved each other’s life.
They glanced around the forest and chased some strays who were trying to escape. They had become frightened when they saw the bodies of the other men lying on the ground, mangled, and were now desperately trying to avoid the same fate. In all of this, Wes did not see Derek anywhere, and he now turned his radar on detecting him. He stood still and allowed his senses to guide him, opening his eyes when they pointed him north. He grunted at Raphael and the wolf understood it to mean follow him, so he did. The two wandered off in the direction where Derek’s scent lingered, but it came to a roundabout confused muddle of scents when they went too far. Maybe he had circled back, and as they spun, Raphael felt a sharp pain in his back and Wes bounded now, pinning Derek to a tree. His face was so close to his now that his saliva dripped on his shirt, their breathing now a mixture of hate and fear.
What happened next was so sudden it gave no one a chance to react. Before Wes could snap Derek’s neck off, they instantly turned their heads as if drawn to the right; standing there, not so far off was Chrissie. It threw Wes off because he didn’t want her to witness him killing her father. Derek remained there pinned to the tree, not being able to move his hands either. He was defenseless and defeated. Just then a human darted from behind some bushes, running and screaming and heading for Chrissie. A wolf dove from around some trees and charged for him. He stumbled but caught up to Chrissie and grabbed the girl around h
er waist, throwing her off balance. She skidded on the dirt, and he now remained partially hidden behind her. The wolf was now in the air, teeth bare, but was too late to stop. He missed the man and caught Chrissie in the neck. Saul landed to his feet, realizing what he had done, but then howled in anger and grabbed the man’s head between his teeth, crushing it.
Derek’s screams were all that could be heard now as he held his hand out to his daughter. Wes released his hold on Derek and the man fell to the ground. Chrissie held her neck in the same moment and collapsed to the ground. Wes bounded over, howling in the process. Soon Luke and some of the others came bounding back. They saw the young girl on the floor and Luke’s howls were the loudest among them. She was not dead, but if they didn’t take her to see their healer, she would be. But as far as they could tell, she would no longer be human when she awakes.
Her hands fell limp to her side as some of the wolves resumed their human shape and gently lifted her onto Raphael’s back. Blood was oozing from her neck and her eyes were beginning to look pale. She was conscious but barely, and as her eyes fluttered shut, she could make out Luke standing there looking on.
Wes looked back to the spot Derek lay and was surprised to discover the man still lying there, leaning against the tree and moaning. He could easily trot over and crush the life from him. by his count, the wolves had not lost a single soul, but there were many with bruises. They would be fine after a few hours when their cells regenerated.
Derek started to stand to his feet, hauling what seemed to be dead weight from the ground. He stood with his arms out stretched, as if in surrender, begging Wes to kill him now. Wes limped over to him, the metal still in his calf. He came so close to Derek his breath caused the hair on his head to tremble. He looked down on the metal arrow still wedged in his calf, and Derek did the same.
“What are you waiting for?” he screamed. “You wanted this, so kill me. You have taken everything away from me, so just take me,” he sobbed.
Wes stood there grunting at the man, as if telling him that he should have listened. He had brought this on himself, and now he will reap the rewards of it. Usually he would take pleasure in killing him, but watching him suffer for his own selfish obsession was a more cruel way to leave him.
He walked off now to join the others who had stood there waiting for him to return, and as he did so, he could hear the sounds of Derek’s screams and cries disturbing the forest. Sure he would know where to find them, and they may have to relocate, but he wouldn’t dare do that now, not when his daughter was just like them. Wes smiled to himself as the wolves assembled themselves and bounded into the forest and to the reservation; today had not been such a bad day after all. When he looked back Derek was still curled up beside the tree, shivering in pain.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Chrissie was writhing in pain when Wes and the other wolves got to the reservation. They had all resumed their human forms by this. Luke was circling a tree when they got there and Wes headed in his direction.
“Hey, what’s going on?” he asked him.
“Morgan is giving her some of his concoctions but they don’t seem to be working. He is saying not just any one can become a wolf and the blood has to be compatible or she could die,” he said, raking his hand through his hair and punching the bark of the tree at the same instant. “How could I have been so stupid? If I didn’t take her here today, then none of this would have happened.”
He looked down now at Wes’ calf, half expecting to see the metal still wedged there. Wes followed his stare. “Don’t worry about me. I think Raphael got most of it out but I might need to see Morgan as well.”
Luke’s mind went back to Chrissie after a brief reprieve. “What if she dies? This will be my fault.”
Just then Saul walked over. “Luke,” he started, but he wasn’t quite sure what to say that would make the boy feel any better.
“You didn’t want her here, so I guess she belongs now. If she survives,” he spat at Saul.
“Now, now Luke, it was not intentional. The fellow ran behind her when Saul was already mid air. He couldn’t help coming down on her. If it is all the same with you,” he now whispered to his brother, “at least you can have her with you forever.” He walked off to leave his brother to wallow in that over self pity.
Despite his words, Saul reached over and rubbed him on the shoulder. “Everything will be fine,” he said, and walked off. Luke did not brush him off this time. The words of his brother had begun to take root, and he could now envision his life with Chrissie here all the time. A gentle smile played upon his lips and he sank down at the root of the tree, his back now resting against it. He pulled a blade of grass and put it between his lips. She had to be alright.
Wes went to the place they were keeping Chrissie. It had been many moons since they have had something like this to contend with. When he went there, she was motionless, but breathing still. He sat on the stool and allowed Morgan to have a look at his leg. He took up a device resembling enormous tweezers and proceeded to pull the remaining metal splinters from his foot. Wes closed his eyes and winced at the pain. Sure they had healing abilities, but he wished they had numbness too.
When Morgan was done, he used a clean cloth and some disinfectant to clean the area and bandaged it so that he could not pick up an infection while he healed; that could take a couple of hours but that was enough time for bacteria to take to hold.
“How is she doing?” Wes asked as soon as Morgan was done with him. He had not seen her make any movement since he came in.
“As well as can be expected. Her vitals are improving, and that’s a good sign.”
“Have you ever looked after someone who is in the process of becoming a Kaio?” queried Wes. He had not known of many who had become wolves this way. Most of the others on the reservation had been born that way, and he had not questioned anyone else. This would be the first time he was witnessing a transformation like this.
“Not very often, but I have seen it before. She will want to feed as soon as she turns, but it is not every one who is capable of turning. It is somewhat like what a human would call open heart surgery; if the blood doesn’t match, then the likelihood of the patient surviving is nil. In Chrissie’s case, she might get lucky. Saul is not a pure bred wolf, so he has some traces of humanity in his blood. That should make it easier for his venom to penetrate her system.”
“She doesn’t seem to be rejecting it so far,” observed Wes. Just then Chrissie awakened and turned wild eyes upon them. She leapt forward, and had it not been for the restraints she would have left the bed entirely. “Easy there,” said Wes, springing forward to catch her.
“Where am I?” she asked, looking around her wildly.
“You are where my brother had intended to take you-our reservation. Do you remember anything that happened?”
She sat there for a few moments, and then clasped her neck. She did remember. “What’s going to happen to me?” she asked now suddenly afraid.
Wes looked to Morgan for his advice; he did not know how to tackle questions of this nature. Nor did he know what to say as a matter of fact.
“Well, you have been bitten by a Kaio, a lycan as we the more sophisticated like to call it. The fact that he bit you means he has tainted your blood and that you will inevitably become like us-possessing the power to heal and transform into a wolf.” He did not know how to placate it further.
Her breathing started intensifying. “Wi-will it hurt? What do I do?” she started crying now.
“Don’t worry dear. It will be like breaking you in, something like riding a bicycle. You will have others here who will help you and train you to control your instincts. That will be hardest of all, and we may have to keep you here until you do. As a matter of fact it is a necessity to keep you here so you will do no harm to any human while you learn to control your impulse.
She sat there silently for a few seconds. “Where’s Luke? I would like to see Luke.”
Wes glanced a
t Morgan and he nodded. He went outside and signaled to Luke who could not have gotten to the tent faster if he had tried. He became ecstatic when he saw her sitting there. He ran to her and almost lifted her off the bed as he enveloped her in his arms. “I was so afraid you would die,” he said.
He looked at Morgan now. “Is she alright?” he asked.
“She will undergo her first transformation on the first full moon, which happens to be tomorrow. After that she will experience changes in body temperature and appetite. She will have to be kept here during that time until she learns to control her impulse, but as for anything else, she is functioning as well as can be expected.
Chrissie was nervous about the whole thing, but it was something she now needed to embrace. There was much screaming and bone breaking the following night when her first transformation took place. When it was over, she had become a golden wolf, with a touch of blue eyes still. She was as magnificent as a wolf as she was a human. But that was only the beginning. For weeks they had to contain her and teach her to feed on animals, sharpen her skills and learn to fight. She was schooled in the ways of the Kaio and it was months before she was allowed off the reservation, still closely guarded by Raphael and Saul who had taken it upon himself to be her body guard much to Luke’s disgust at time. His way of making amends he has claimed.
Detectives Mueller and Steele visited Derek at home one day, asking about the whereabouts of his daughter. All he could tell them was she was staying with some relatives in another state as he was incapable of providing the parenting she needed. They had to accept that, despite disbelief. No crime was committed.
It was a sunny Saturday when Luke showed up at the penthouse with Chrissie on his arms. Wes was out but Lucy was there and the two embraced like old friends. “So, how does it feel, being reborn?” asked Lucy.
The White Werewolf's Love (Interracial Shifter Romance BWWM Paranormal) Page 6