Winter Wolf (A New Dawn Novel Book 1)

by Rachel M Raithby

  The garden wasn’t a bad size but consisted of mostly lawn and a few shrubs. It took them all of two minutes to walk the garden and in that time, more people had arrived at the house, friends and distant relatives she hardly knew, all of them wanting to know her story. Katalina gave them vague answers, sticking to the things Bass had told her, while never letting go of his hand. He was her anchor, the only thing keeping her grounded, and out of the darkness of her grief.

  “Come on,” Katalina whispered to him, weaving through the mass of bodies. Bass in tow, she escaped to her room. “Close the door.”

  “As you wish,” he said with a bow.

  “Funny!” she muttered, opening her wardrobe. “I think I have one plain, boring black dress in here somewhere.”

  “Kat, I’m not exactly dressed in funeral attire,” Bass observed, looking down at himself.

  Kat tossed a dress on her bed. Turning, she looked at him. “Have you got any black jeans?”

  “Yes, but black jeans aren’t appropriate either.”

  “So what, no one will notice. They’ll be too distracted by your face.”

  He chuckled at her. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

  “Oh, yes, you definitely should.” She walked toward him, planting a kiss on his mouth. “Now, go find your jeans, while I get dressed.”

  By the time he returned, Katalina had dressed in her knee-length dress. It hugged her waist before flaring out. She’d paired it with black tights and black boots with a small heel.

  “How you doing, Kat? I’m certain you weren’t expecting to come home to this.”

  “Not really. Part of me is pleased I’m here for it, the other just wishes I had a grave to visit already. It’s just so hard dealing with all those people, asking me questions I can’t answer.”

  “You’ll get through this. I’ll be right beside you, every step of the way.”

  Katalina rested her head on his shoulder and took his hand. “Thanks,” she whispered softly. “Well, I suppose, we best go back out there.”

  She reached for the door but Bass called her back. “Kat, have you seen this?”

  Turning, Katalina looked in the direction he pointed and saw a black box, tied with a red bow.

  “Oh, it must be a birthday present.” She gulped loudly, slowly making her way to the box, not quite sure she wanted to see its contents. She knew it was from her parents as she tentatively picked up the gift.

  She read the label aloud. “An extra one for my precious girl. I can’t believe you are eighteen already! Happy Birthday, My Winter Girl! Love, Mom xoxo P.S I know, I go crazy with the white!”

  Katalina smiled as tears filled her eyes.

  “What does she mean ‘crazy with the white’?” Bass asked from behind her.

  Katalina laughed sadly. “Mom had an obsession with buying me all things white, she called me her Winter Girl. I’m not sure I have the strength to open this.”

  “I think you’ll be surprised at the strength you possess, Katalina Winter,” he murmured against her ear.

  She took a deep breath, her chest rising high, and pulled the bow. The red ribbon tumbled to the floor, followed by the lid. Katalina pulled the white, fur coat from the box. Her knees gave out, and she dropped to the floor with a sob, clutching the coat to her chest.

  “Oh, Mom,” she sobbed.

  “Baby,” Bass soothed, wrapping himself around her. “It’s as white as your wolf fur. I do hope it’s not real though.”

  Katalina laughed through her tears. “Maybe it’s wolf.”

  She ran her hands over the coat, picturing her mother doing the same when she bought it from the store.

  “You should wear it today,” Bass suggested.

  “It’s the wrong color for a funeral.”

  “I think your mom would have loved for you to wear her gift. Come on up. Come and try it on.” He held her hand and pulled her to her feet. “My beautiful Winter Wolf,” he murmured in her ear, making her smile.

  There was a knock at the door. “Kat, it’s time to go,” her grandma called through the door.

  Katalina huffed out a breath. Glancing at herself in the mirror one last time, she nodded at her pale reflection. You can do this, Kat. Just keep it together for the next few hours.

  “Coming, Gram.”

  Chapter 12

  The funeral passed in a blur. Katalina couldn’t seem to focus on anything but the grief building inside of her. Time passed in a daze. She was at the center of warm condolences and reassuring pats on her arm, but none of it mattered. Her parents were gone. They were dead. She’d never see them again. All that kept her upright was the firm grip of Bass’s hand, his strong, steady presence.

  “Kat? Katalina?”

  Katalina focused on her grandma’s face.

  “Kat, the police, they’re here to see you,” her grandma said gently, nodding toward the unmarked car parked at the edge of the graveyard. Detectives leaned against it.

  “Police, now?” she asked, bewildered.

  “I’m sorry, Kat. Susan tried to get rid of them but they won’t leave. Just answer their questions and then it’s over with.”

  “Okay,” she whispered, taking an uneasy step toward them.

  “I’d think it would be best if you stayed here, Sebastian,” her grandmother added.

  Bass looked a little put out but stayed behind.

  Katalina walked slowly toward the two men, feeling lost now Bass wasn’t by her side. She weaved between the headstones, glancing back at Bass every now and then. When she reached the detectives, she took one final look at Bass and then took a deep breath, preparing herself for the questions.

  “Miss Winter?”

  Katalina focused on the men and nodded.

  “We’re very sorry to interrupt, today of all days, but we’re hoping you can shed some light on a few things,” the oldest of the detectives spoke.

  Katalina nodded again. She stuck her hands in her pockets to hide the fact they were trembling.

  “Well, why don’t you just start off by telling us what happened the night of the crash?’

  Katalina opened her mouth to speak but couldn’t voice the horrors of the night. It was all too much, too devastating. She didn’t want to recall the night again.

  “There were wolves, weren’t there, Kat?” her grandmother prompted with a reassuring pat.

  “Yes…they followed the car. Dad took his eyes off the road for a second and”—she sucked in a breath—“then they ran out in front of the car. It flipped.” Katalina closed her eyes, forcing the images, the memories away.

  “But you made it out of the car?” the detective asked.

  “Yes,” she answered in a small voice.

  “But how did you get away?”

  “My dog came.”

  “Your dog saved you from a pack of wolves?” he asked, disbelieving.

  Katalina looked the detective in the eye. “Yes,” she said sternly.

  “So, then your biological father finds you a few streets over, and rushes you to hospital. This is what your grandmother tells us.”

  Katalina nodded.

  “Why not inform the rest of your family you were safe?”

  “She had no memories! I’ve told you this already,” Katalina’s grandmother snapped.

  “We’d just like to hear Miss Winter’s version of events.”

  “I came home as soon as I had my memories back. Now, if that’s all, I’m at my parents’ funeral.” Katalina didn’t wait to see if the detectives had any more questions. She turned on her heels, marching back to Bass.

  “Are you all right?” he asked as she approached.

  Katalina didn’t dare speak for fear of crying, so nodded instead.

  Her grandmother returned a few minutes later, having sent the police on their way. “Kat, we must get going. We’ll be late for the wake.”

  Wake…more people, more questions.

  “Kat?” She opened her mouth to speak, but couldn’t find the words. Fresh tea
rs pooled in her eyes. She blinked rapidly, trying to force them back.

  Bass stepped in. “I think Katalina has had enough for one day. I’ll walk her home. I think she needs a little time alone.”

  “Oh, right, yes, it’s been a hard morning. We’ll see you at home, Kat” her grandma said.

  Katalina hugged her grandmother, and then followed Bass as he guided her along. She was lost in her dark thoughts, playing the crash and over, looking for some way to have saved her parents. Her feet squelched in the slushy snow and the wind bit at her face, raw from tears. Her whole body felt like ice, right down to her broken, torn soul. Her only source of warmth came from Bass’s hand, still strong in hers.

  “Where are we going?” she asked, after realizing they’d been walking into a crop of trees for the last few minutes.

  “We are going to have a run. It will make you feel better,” he explained, stopping.

  “A run?”

  “Yes,” he smiled, pulling his coat, then t-shirt off.

  “A naked run?” she smirked.

  “Don’t be a smartass, Kat.” He slipped his jeans off and then his boxers.

  Katalina gave a startled squeak spinning around so he was at her back. “Bass, I don’t want to change again remember, and I’m not sure running around as wolves is the best idea.”

  “I’ll keep you safe. Now, come on, Kat, undress. I’ve seen it all before,” he said, his tone flirty.

  “Bass!”

  He answered by pressing a cold wolf nose against her leg.

  “Fine!” she snapped, carefully putting her coat on top of his clothes so it wouldn’t get dirty. The rest of her clothes followed. Right, Kat, easy peasy, you’re a shifter, changing should be a piece of cake.

  Bass barked at her.

  “Okay, okay, grumpy wolf!”

  She closed her eyes, cleared her mind, and pictured her wolf. The pain wasn’t so bad. She bit her lip as she collapsed onto her knees, and seconds later, took a step forward on wolf paws.

  Bass had been right. She felt instantly better. It wasn’t that the pain and grief she felt had gone; rather, it dulled. It was as if the wolf couldn’t process her feelings, making them easier to deal with. Bass took off at a steady run. Following him, Katarina marveled at the simple pleasure of feeling the wind weave through her fur, and the feel of dirt between her paws. They couldn’t run very far; the crop of woods wasn’t large and they easily covered the length of it in minutes, but it was enough. Twenty minutes of leisurely running backward and forward between the trees helped Katalina cope with her emotions better.

  “Feel better?” Bass asked as he slung his coat on.

  Katalina turned, now fully dressed, to face him. “Yes, but I’m ready to go home now.”

  “As you wish, my Queen,” he replied with a devilish smile and a bow.

  “Stop, with the queen, Bass,” she said, hitting him playfully on the arm.

  Bass stopped suddenly, dragging her into his arms. He dipped her low, whispering, “Why? You are the ruler of my heart, Katalina Winter. There is nothing I wouldn’t do for you. No line I wouldn’t cross. You are mine. The soul mate for both my halves.” He kissed her hard and fast.

  Katalina shook her head, clearing the desire fogging in her mind. “Sometimes I wonder if you’re even real. People don’t talk like that in the real world.”

  “Why do you want to live in this ‘real world’ then, Kat? Come with me into the world of wolves and soul mates.” He spoke in a joking tone, but she could tell by the look in his eyes, he was deadly serious, and it scared her. She wasn’t afraid that he may lead her into another life; rather, she was worried that she’d want this new life too much and forget she’d once lived as if human.

  Katalina searched for something meaningful to say. ‘I love you’ just didn’t seem to do Bass justice, but before she could open her mouth, she found herself twisted around, air whipping past her as Bass spun her behind him with a savage growl.

  “Bass?” Katalina gasped.

  “Someone is stalking us. Stay behind me, Katalina.”

  Katalina scanned the trees, her heart kicking up a gear when she imagined Jackson and the enforcers racing from the trees and taking her away. But it wasn’t Jackson who appeared. It was Cage, his hands held up, in a submissive gesture.

  “I just want to talk,” he said in a soft voice.

  “How can I trust you?” Katalina asked, placing her hand on Bass’s shoulder, hoping to calm him.

  Cage actually looked hurt. “I guess I deserve that. The last few days I’ve not been very kind to you.”

  Katalina didn’t confirm it. There was no need.

  “But, please, Kat, I’ve come to warn you and to apologize. Can we talk? Alone?”

  “She’s not going anywhere with you!” Bass growled, still not moving from his defensive stance.

  “Please,” Cage begged.

  “Talk, Cage, whatever you’ve come to say can be said in front of Bass.”

  Cage took a step forward, a small smile of relief on his lips. “Okay.”

  “Stay where you are!” Bass ground out.

  “Bass, he’s hardly going to attack me in broad daylight, with you beside me. I’m sure he can come closer.”

  “As you wish.” Bass took a small step, putting himself beside Katalina, but his eyes never left Cage.

  “I’m sorry, Kat, okay? I’ve really messed up. All I ever wanted was to protect you, and I went along with Jackson, not because I thought he was right, but because I didn’t want to go against my alpha. I see now that was a big mistake.”

  “I thought you were my friend, Cage, but you treated me as a prisoner, just like him.”

  “I know and I’m sorry. I came to make it up to you, to warn you. I’ve gone against your father’s wishes to do this, Kat. Even now my wolf is pacing.”

  “Warn me, about what?” she asked, feeling on edge.

  “Jackson’s…he’s…he’s sent his enforcers to bring you back, three of them. They’re to snatch you when you’re alone.” He spoke the sentence in one big rush as if it pained him to tell her.

  “And you? You’re his enforcer too.”

  “I won’t do it, Kat. You have the right to mourn your parents in peace. You’ll come home when you’re ready.”

  “This is my home, Cage.”

  He didn’t respond, but she saw the hurt cross over his eyes.

  “Three enforcers? Their orders are to only take her when she’s alone?” Bass asked.

  “That was the order, but Jackson is bound to find out I’ve warned you. He may get desperate. Maybe I should stay, Kat, protect you.”

  A growl cut off Katalina’s reply. “I can handle three. Katalina has no need for you.”

  Cage growled back, his eyes filling with anger.

  “Hey! No fighting!” Katalina yelled before they had a chance. Looking at the two of them, she became acutely aware they were more than just men.

  “Is this what you want, Kat? You want me to leave?” Cage asked.

  Katalina sighed, the heavy feeling of dread settling in her stomach. “It was hard enough explaining Bass. I can’t have you hanging around, too, Cage. You should go home to your family, to Toby.”

  He nodded, turning away. He headed for the trees, but before he reached them, he paused. Half-turning, he asked quietly, “Does he make you happy?”

  “Yes,” she answered honestly.

  “It was supposed to be me,” he said so quietly, she was sure she only heard him because of her new wolf abilities.

  Katalina walked toward him; she couldn’t help it. She felt terrible for making him so sad. She could almost feel the sadness seeping off him.

  “Kat,” Bass warned.

  “He won’t hurt me, Bass. Trust me.”

  Katalina walked over to Cage, who still stood on the edge of the tree line, his back to her, shoulders slumped.

  “Cage,” she whispered, touching his arm.

  It broke her when he looked at her, tears in his ey
es. “I love you, Kat. I’ve been waiting my whole life for you, and now I’ve messed everything up.”

  She pulled in a deep breath, thinking of the right words to say. “Cage, you don’t love me, not really. You love the idea of me. You love the life everyone has told you, you should live. I’m not the girl you were told about. I never have been. Maybe it’s time to stop doing as you are asked, and really think about what you want. One day you’re going to meet the girl you’re supposed to be with, your mate, and you’ll understand what I mean. I’m sorry, Cage, truly I am, but I love Bass.”

  A tear escaped, trailing slowly over his cheek. Katalina reached up on her toes and kissed the tear away. “Goodbye, Cage,” she whispered.

  He remained standing when she looked back minutes later as she walked along the road.

  “Stop beating yourself up, Katalina. It is not your fault you do not feel the same.”

  “I didn’t want to hurt him, Bass. He saved me, both him and Toby. I would be dead right now if they hadn’t come.”

  “He’ll get over it,” Bass muttered.

  “Would you?” Katalina snapped.

  “No…but we are different. We are mates. Your wolf doesn’t want him; she wants me. It would have never worked, and if your father was thinking straight, he’d know he could never push two shifters together. Our wolves choose; it has always been that way.”

  “I don’t think Jackson has thought straight since Winter died.”

  Chapter 13

  They’d been walking for a while when finally Katalina saw her drive ahead. She didn’t feel the cold like she used too, but her face still stung from the constant bite of cold wind against her skin. A surge of joy filled her as she saw her house. Her feet quickened their pace, excitement flowing through her blood until she was slapped with reality. Her stomach dropped. It was her house, her home, but the reason behind her happiness had been ripped away from her forever. For just a second there, she’d forgotten they were dead. For one glorious second, she’d managed to forget she’d just watched their coffins being lowered into the earth.

  Her feet faltered, her eyes noticing the burned charred ground. Immediately, she was hit with the memory of the attack; images, sounds, the fear came back to her. It was as if she was there again, reliving the horror, watching her parents burn as a wolves sunk their teeth into her flesh, dragging her away from her family, as if she was nothing but game. She heard distant barking; a sudden feeling of hope that Arne might save her, and then she remembered the pack of wolves, wanting to devour her.