Wolf Hollow (Wolf Hollow Shifters, Book 1)

by Nikki Jefford

  Flynn’s wolf whimpered and crouched on his belly.

  “Lupus formella homo animalis,” the wizard bellowed in a voice as fierce as thunder.

  With a gasp, Flynn turned back into a human, curled on his side in the dirt.

  Tabor’s heart momentarily stopped. It thundered a second later. How dare this wizard waltz in and force a shift on a pack member?

  “Stand down, wizard, or answer to me,” Tabor’s voice boomed.

  Slowly, the wizard turned, a delighted grin twitching in the silvery bristle beneath his moustache. He had a prominent nose set in a face still handsome despite his weathered skin.

  Those steely green eyes found Tabor’s and seemed to light up.

  As Tabor started toward him, the wizard opened his mouth.

  “Formella la—”

  Before the man could finish his spell, Tabor screamed it out, finishing before the older wizard.

  “Formella lavita!”

  The stranger’s cloak billowed behind him as though caught up in a gust of wind. The man took several steps back but managed to keep his footing. After his cloak drifted back to his ankles, he lifted his hands and applauded, grin widening as he walked toward Tabor. “Well done, my son.”

  Yet again, Tabor was jolted, but not by magic.

  The whispers began at once.

  “Son?”

  “That’s his father?”

  “He’s the one who bewitched Lucinda. What’s he doing here?”

  Tabor’s heart crashed against his rib cage. So this was his father, the great and powerful Lazarus, the man who had abandoned his mother with child. Who hadn’t bothered to help after she became ill and hadn’t had the courtesy to attend her sky ceremony. Now here he was throwing magic around, upsetting the pack after Tabor had bent over backward to be accepted by them.

  Dear old Dad had ripped a chasm in that plan with his first thunderbolt.

  Tabor stopped five feet in front of the wizard and placed his hands on his hips. “Son?” he asked in a sneering voice. “I’ve never seen you before in my life. Even if you had proof, it wouldn’t matter. As far as I’m concerned, I have no father.”

  “He has his father’s eyes,” Sydney whispered loudly to Camilla.

  Tabor scowled. Someone really needed to put a muzzle on Palmer’s youngest daughters.

  Smile never wavering, the wizard answered, “I am your father, Tabor, and I’ve come to take you home.”

  “I am home,” Tabor growled.

  He was so focused on Lazarus he didn’t notice Sasha join his side until she stood against his shoulder. Tabor’s stomach twisted with worry to have her in the wizard’s direct line of sight. If the old man lifted a finger toward her, Tabor would rip him to shreds, family or not. Lazarus wouldn’t be able to force him out of his shift as easily as he had with Flynn.

  “This is not a home,” Lazarus said. “The hollow is fit for one thing: animals.”

  Tabor lifted his chest. “Then it’s a good thing I’m part wolf.”

  “Indeed,” Lazarus said, smiling again. “And I’ve allowed you to explore that part of your heritage long enough. Now it is time you learned what it means to be a wizard.”

  Tabor felt Sasha tense beside him. When he stole a glance, he saw the hatred in her eyes, as though she were staring down a vulhena and would like nothing more than to rip off its head. Tabor tried to step in front of her so the wizard wouldn’t notice her, but Sasha adjusted her position, never taking her eyes away from her enemy.

  However, the wizard’s gaze moved to Sasha. Before Lazarus could get a good look, Tabor placed a hand on his hip and, in a taunting tone, said, “I already know what it means to be a wizard. Self-taught.” He puffed up his chest.

  Lazarus chuckled. “Yes, I am aware of your victory over the vulhena. Very impressive.”

  Tabor’s eyes narrowed. Is this why he’d come? Had his wretch of a father considered Tabor unworthy until now? Had he been waiting for Tabor to prove himself?

  Bitter feelings swelled inside his chest—the rejection he’d felt all his life resurfacing like a river trout breaking the surface to snatch a mayfly.

  Lazarus’s eyes lit up, as though seizing upon the emotions building inside Tabor’s body and mind.

  “At Balmar Heights your powers will be revered. You will learn to strengthen your abilities.” As he looked around the glade, his nose wrinkled. “Why would you want to live among these animals in this filth?”

  Growls arose but they had no effect on Lazarus. A satisfied smile stretched up his face as though the shifters helped prove his point.

  From the left, Jager limped over to the wizard until they were three feet apart.

  “Hello, Lazarus.” Jager hissed the name disdainfully. “Why not admit the real reason you’ve come for Tabor? You just want to drag the boy into your feud with the Bear Mountain shifters.”

  Lazarus looked Jager over carefully, eyebrows lifting when he addressed the elder shifter. “Jager, old boy, you are looking worse for wear.”

  “Age ravages us all eventually,” Jager returned.

  Lazarus laced his fingers, eyes alighting on Jager. “Indeed, though some more cruelly than others. I can’t imagine the elements are kind on your aches and pains.”

  “Nothing a shifter can’t handle,” Jager retorted.

  Lazarus smirked. “And when was the last time you shifted?”

  A growl ripped between Jager’s teeth before he answered. “None of your damn business, wizard.”

  “No need to be uncivil,” Lazarus said.

  Not backing down, Jager took a step forward, now inches from Lazarus. “You are not welcome here. You never have been. Leave and do not bother us again.”

  “Certainly,” Lazarus said quickly. “I don’t care to linger in this hovel longer than necessary.” His chin jerked up, green eyes locked on Tabor’s the moment he lifted his gaze away from Jager’s. “Tabor, it is time for us to go.”

  Before Tabor could formulate a response, Jager roared. “The son of a wolf stays in Wolf Hollow!”

  The ground beneath Tabor’s feet felt unstable. His mind spun. This isn’t what Jager had said days before. He’d claimed that nobody wanted a half-breed raised with the pack. Had it all been lies to dissuade him from Sasha and to test his commitment?

  Tabor’s heart pounded all the way up into his head. He felt Sasha take his hand and squeeze.

  Lazarus glared at Jager. “You kept me from my son once, old man. I won’t stand for it a second time.”

  Soft gasps arose around the clearing. Sasha’s fingers slipped from Tabor’s as though hit by the same shock he felt. Had Jager really stopped Lazarus from taking Tabor away when he was younger?

  Lazarus’s voice lifted above the clamber. “I’ll remind you again that he is also the son of a wizard.” He stepped around Jager and started slowly toward Tabor. “That’s right, boy, your elders kept me from you against your own mother’s own wishes. I came for you after the birth. I came to take you home, but this one intervened,” he said with a sneer directed at Jager.

  Tabor’s heart seemed to freeze in his chest. None of this made him feel any better. At first it made no sense. His father had wanted him all along. Shouldn’t that have made him happy? But something else Lazarus said bothered him.

  Against his mother’s wishes . . .

  His mother had wanted to give him up?

  Memories flooded his mind. His mother’s words. “Your father is a great and powerful wizard. The others are just jealous that he chose me. One day your father will come for you. One day you will go to Balmar Heights. You’re too good for the hollow.”

  Lazarus nodded as though her words echoed in the air between them.

  “I promised Lucinda I would return for you once I received a sign that you were ready.”

  “And where were yo
u when she got sick?” Tabor demanded, finding his voice. He crossed his arms and glowered at the smug man before him.

  Lazarus gave a sad shake of his head. “I didn’t know your mother was ill. I wasn’t even aware she’d passed until I sensed your wave of power defeating those creatures. Afterward, I made inquiries and learned of Lucinda’s death.”

  “Some wizard you are,” Tabor muttered bitterly.

  “We are powerful, not all seeing,” Lazarus said. “You have much to learn.”

  “I think I’ve done pretty well on my own,” Tabor said, squaring his shoulders. “Where I go isn’t up to you or Jager. Wolf Hollow is my home, and this is my pack, my true family.” Three days ago he hadn’t believed it, but he felt the truth of his words as they left his lips. Even though he had an opportunity to live among wizards in the mountains and get to know his father, he knew in his heart that he still wanted Sasha, pups of their own, and to live in the lush green wilds of the hollow. Just the thought of leaving behind his pack sent a silent cry of anguish echoing through his soul. He’d been home all along.

  As though moved by his words, over a dozen shifters began to move in cautiously, surrounding Tabor against Lazarus.

  “That’s right,” Heidi’s voice rang out. “Tabor is one of us. You can’t make him leave.”

  Lazarus ignored her. His eyes, Tabor was alarmed to see, had settled on Sasha. He stared at her curiously, an amused little half grin forming over his lips. “Is this the reason you want to stay?” he asked, not taking his eyes off Sasha.

  “As I said before, Wolf Hollow is my home.”

  Lazarus smirked. “She is a pureblood. Well done, son.”

  Magic sparked and crackled in Tabor’s veins. He’d had about enough. So, apparently, had Jager, who moved forward so quickly his limp turned into more of a hop.

  “You’ve fulfilled your promise to Lucinda. You returned. You made Tabor your offer, and he has chosen to remain in Wolf Hollow with his pack. Now be gone from here and never return.”

  Lazarus leaned back. His eyes narrowed and nose lifted. “I will respect my son’s decision to live where he wants but should that change he knows where to find me. The gates of Balmar Heights will always be open to him.” His teeth gleamed white in his mouth when he turned his attention to Sasha. “And that goes for my future grandchildren as well.”

  A chill slithered down Tabor’s spine. He snarled, but Lazarus’s smile only widened.

  “Part pureblood. Part wizard. Your offspring will be great indeed.”

  Somehow the compliment felt more like a threat.

  “Before I take my leave, I have one last request. If you won’t come with me to develop your powers, I only ask that you welcome your sister into the hollow and teach her how to be a wolf.”

  Sister? Tabor’s mind cried out.

  “This is preposterous,” Jager barked. “Lucinda never gave birth to another child.”

  “Half-sister from another wolf shifter,” Larazus clarified.

  Jager’s nostrils flared. “How many females have you forced yourself on?”

  Lazarus’s face darkened and his eyes flashed. “Do not provoke me, Jager.” He looked at Tabor, face softening. “Your sister’s name is Elsie and she is waiting for my summons”—Lazarus frowned—“unless you want me to tell her you refused to take her in.”

  Tabor ground his teeth and glared at his father. He didn’t like being manipulated or feeling like he was being outmaneuvered, but how could he possibly refuse to meet his half-sister—a half-breed like him? Tabor knew too well what it was like to feel like an outcast. What must it have been like growing up among wizards suppressing her animal instincts? Had they feared her? Treated her as beneath them?

  “This is a matter for the council to decide,” Ford dared speak.

  That settled it for Tabor.

  “My sister is welcome in Wolf Hollow anytime—so long as she follows our rules.” Tabor’s chest lifted and he met his father’s eye.

  Lazarus grinned. “You are a testament to your mother, son. We shall meet again.” His eyes clouded over in the next instant and he muttered the words of a spell Tabor had never heard.

  The bonfire exploded, sending flaming logs in every direction. Screams filled the clearing as shifters ducked and fell to the ground. Gray smoke clogged the air, reducing visibility to nothing.

  Shouts arose. There came a muffled cry. Alarm filled his lungs thicker than smoke, but as it cleared he saw that Sasha was okay, along with the other members of the pack. Some had dove to the ground and were now dusting themselves off, and in the haze Lazarus had disappeared, replaced by a petite brunette in a long, flowing white dress that touched her ankles, with daisies circling her head. She had sky-blue eyes and long, light brown lashes that fluttered when she looked at him, a warm smile lighting her cheeks. She had a childlike quality—innocent and fragile—despite her age, which Tabor would guess was three or four years younger than himself.

  Everyone stood frozen in place staring—all except Zackery, who rose from his log and stared at Elsie as though in a trance. He took a step toward her, and although he was nowhere near her, Tabor snarled in warning and stepped in front of his sister.

  “You see why I did what I did?” Garrick shot to his feet and pointed at Tabor. “How can we protect ourselves from such witchcraft?”

  “And we all thought Zackary’s father was the dangerous one,” Devan chorused.

  Jager spun around and gazed into the clearing with stern eyes. “Settle down, everyone, Lazarus is gone.”

  “What if he comes back?” Sydney asked, quivering in place.

  “He won’t,” Jager said.

  “You have nothing to fear from Lazarus or the other wizards at Balmar Heights—nor me,” Elsie said with the musical voice of an angel.

  Tabor put his arm around his sister and steered her away from Jager, Palmer, Garrick, Zackery, Ford, Devan, and all the other cowering shifters who surrounded their elders looking for direction. He guided her to a quiet place beneath a tree, careful not to press too firmly on the softness of her skin.

  Sasha stood rooted in place watching Tabor with sad, soulful eyes. His heart gave a little lurch, but Sasha could handle herself whereas his sister had literally been thrown to the wolves. What kind of father did such a thing? Oh, right, Tabor’s.

  “I am so happy to finally meet you.” Elsie hugged Tabor and gave him a tender squeeze before pulling back.

  He wondered that she could look so calm at being left in the wilds with strangers.

  Tabor swallowed. “I never knew I had a sister. How long have you known about me?”

  “All my life,” Elsie said, “and I’ve been asking to meet you for just as long.” She gazed up at him with such sincerity and warmth. Tabor’s own mother had never looked at him the way Elsie did—and with such joy. Her smile could brighten the stars.

  Awareness illuminated Tabor’s mind as he stared at his sister. “You were the one who wrote my name inside the journals, weren’t you?”

  Nodding, Elsie’s grin widened. “I copied the spells and did the drawings too. Once I wrote you a note and slipped it between the pages, but Father found it and took it out. He told me your mother was fragile and it would upset her.”

  Relief replaced Tabor’s moment of disappointment. Lazarus was right about Lucinda—she would not have reacted well to the knowledge that Tabor wasn’t the man’s one and only offspring. Then again, Lazarus could have made an effort to visit Lucinda and explain things to her.

  “Why did the journals stop coming?” Tabor asked curiously.

  Elsie’s lips parted and a frown appeared so briefly Tabor might have imagined it. “There were more pressing matters that took up my time, but now I can teach you more spells—along with the right pronunciation.” Elsie grinned.

  “I did enjoy your drawings, but in person is vastly better
.” Tabor returned her grin.

  Elsie gave him another hug. “Thank you for allowing me to spend time with you. I promise I won’t be too much trouble.”

  “How could you be any trouble?” Tabor asked, shaking his head.

  A secretive smile curved up Elsie’s cheeks. “You’d be surprised.”

  Looking at her, Tabor couldn’t help smiling back. “I think we’re going to get along just fine. And I’m sure there’s plenty you can teach me—like that spell Lazarus performed before disappearing. Was he able to conjure you up from hundreds of miles away?”

  Such a feat would be remarkable and open up a world of possibilities for the pack. Just imagine if Tabor could travel great distances to abundant hunting grounds in a matter of seconds then reappear with dinner or supplies? Incredible! And much safer.

  Elsie gave a sweet chuckle. “He’d like your pack to believe he has that kind of power, but no, we walked here. We used a spell to mask our smell and footsteps to approach your gathering undetected. Father manipulated the elements for his grand entrance . . . and disappearance. We simply traded places.”

  Tabor raised a brow. “You mean…?”

  Elsie nodded, her grin lifting up her cheeks. “He’s walking back to Balmar Heights as we speak.”

  Tabor barked out a laugh, tears forming in the corners of his eyes. Elsie’s vivid blue eyes shone with humor.

  “Are you hungry?” Tabor asked as soon as he’d regained his breath.

  “Oh, yes. Tell me that’s deer I smell cooking and I might never leave.”

  “You don’t have meat at Balmar Heights?” Tabor asked.

  “Mostly brook trout. We eat it so often I’m surprised I haven’t grown gills.”

  Tabor chuckled, which made Elsie’s eyes light up.

  How could he teach such a lovely, fragile woman to hunt, kill, and defend herself? She didn’t belong in the hollow, but now that he’d met her, he couldn’t imagine letting her out of his sight. Someone needed to protect her from the world and the monsters in it.

  But that’s not what Lazarus had asked of him.

  “Teach her how to be a wolf.”