Howl of the Wolf hc-4

by N. J. Walters

  Sabrina closed the door and locked it before resting against the wood panel. Her wolf was finally here. Didn’t matter that she’d only set eyes on him in the dim back room of Jules’ shop, the wolf was hers. Her hand rested on her chest and she rubbed at the slight ache in the region of her heart. “Must be hunger.”

  She really should rummage up something to eat before cleaning up her latest purchase. Who was she kidding? She couldn’t eat until she’d wiped the layer of dust from her wolf and checked him out.

  She pushed away from the door and went to the kitchen, digging beneath the sink for some wood cleaner and a few old rags. Carrying her supplies under her arm, she went back into the living room.

  The wolf watched her from the corner of the room, his gaze even more penetrating than it had been in the low light of Jules’ store. “Magnificent.” She grabbed one cloth and wiped away the dust and grime that covered most of his body. With each stroke, she revealed vibrant paint and exquisite details.

  “Oh, you’re even better than I thought. Even better than Jules must have realized.” She tossed the filthy rag aside, grabbed the can of wood cleaner and a clean cloth and went back to work. She polished his broad paws, each tipped with long, sharp claws. She stroked his muscular legs and flanks, marveling at the intricate detail of the black and gray paint. Each individual hair was painted, giving it a very realistic quality.

  The fur on his back was smooth and sleek. “If you were part of a carousel, why don’t you have a seat or a saddle for riding?” It did give her pause. Maybe that was a separate piece that had been lost over time. “No reins either.” She rubbed his large ears and the top of his head, bringing out a shine in the wood. There was no dry rot or wear anywhere on the piece.

  She stood in front of him, staring at his snarling mouth and the very sharp teeth that protruded from his gums. “You’re one angry beast, aren’t you?” One of the quirks Sabrina had developed living alone was that she talked to herself. So it was natural for her to start talking to her wolf. She didn’t think he’d mind.

  “Or maybe you would,” she murmured. “You don’t strike me as the type to want company. A loner. That’s what you are.” She carefully wiped around his snout and jawline. “I don’t think casual conversation would be your thing, would it?”

  Her hand lingered on his brutally beautiful face. “You need a name, my friend. How about Shadow? No, too obvious.” She trailed her fingers over the top of his broad head. “Don’t worry. I’ll come up with something suitable.”

  The phone rang and she reluctantly set aside her cleaning rag and rubbed her hands over the worn fabric of her jeans. “Be right back.” Her phone was still in her tote bag, but it only took her a minute to dig it out. “Hello, Jessica.” She wasn’t surprised her friend had called to check on her. She had the best friends in the world.

  “Are you okay?” The urgency in Jessica’s voice startled her.

  “Yeah, I’m fine. Only home long enough to get cleaned up and change.”

  “What took you so long?”

  Sabrina frowned at Jessica’s heavy handedness but excused it as a byproduct of last night’s episode. They were all on edge. “I stopped by to visit with Jules.”

  Jessica’s tone immediately changed. They all loved Jules. “And did he show you something you just had to have?” They’d all fallen victim to Jules at one time or another. No, scratch that. They usually bought something every time they went to his shop. Jessica had a weakness for Depression glass and vintage Halloween postcards, and with Mathilda it was vintage jewelry.

  “You won’t believe what I bought.” Her enthusiasm spilled over, making her friend laugh.

  “So, tell me.”

  Sabrina meandered back to the other side of the room to stand by her wolf. “Jules had some signs and stuff from an old carnival.”

  “Really? That sounds interesting.”

  “You might like the signs. They’re faded and chipped but very cool. I should tell Tilly about them. She might like to buy one for the store.”

  “Hey, give me my shot first.” Jessica laughed. “Oh, go ahead and tell her. I really shouldn’t buy anything new right now. I’m going to an estate sale on the weekend and they’re supposed to have lots of glassware. But you still haven’t told me what you bought.”

  “A wolf.”

  “What? A wolf?”

  Sabrina laughed. “According to Jules, he was part of a carousel.” She patted his flanks and frowned. The wood seemed warm, almost hot. Probably because she’d been rubbing it. She hoped there wasn’t some chemical reaction between the wood cleaner she used and the old paint. “Wish I could have seen the other animals on the ride. This was the only one he had and now he’s all mine.”

  “How big is he?” Jessica asked, all humor gone from her voice.

  “Really big.” Sabrina patted her wolf’s head. “He’s currently taking up a huge chunk of my living room, but I don’t care. I’ll get rid of one of my chairs if I have to. I can always sit on him instead.”

  “Only you would get rid of a chair in favor of a life-sized wolf from a carnival ride.” Jessica paused, the moment heavy with concern. “Be careful. Promise me.” Jessica’s tone was urgent now, making Sabrina nervous all over again.

  “I figure this is a good omen, you know.” Now that she was home, last night’s fears were riding her hard.

  “I know.” Jessica’s tone was light, but Sabrina could tell her friend was still concerned about her. “Be sure to check the salt around the doorways and windows. And burn some of that incense I gave you. It’s sage and should help dispel any negativity. And if you have any trouble tonight, you call me.” Jessica hesitated. “You sure you don’t want me to come stay with you tonight?”

  Sabrina closed her eyes and leaned against the wolf. Both her friends had offered several times today and she loved them both for it. “No. I need to do this by myself.”

  “Hey, maybe we’ll have a girl’s night on the weekend. Maybe Saturday. We can stop off at Jules’ place and do some shopping, go out for dinner and come back to my place for wine and movies.”

  No way could she say no after everything her friends had done for her. “Call Tilly and set it up. I’m in.”

  “Great. See you tomorrow.” Jessica fell silent for a moment before continuing. “And, Sabrina, please be careful.”

  “I will,” she promised. She ended the call and tossed her phone onto the coffee table.

  Alone with her wolf once again, she turned to him and smiled. “You know, I’ve got a tattoo a lot like you, except for the snarl and the extra-long fangs and claws. My wolf is a little friendlier than you.” She rubbed his head. “Of course, maybe you have reason to be pissed off. Maybe all those kids and adults riding on your back over the years have you riled up.”

  Her stomach growled again, but it seemed louder than usual, almost like an animal growl. “Weird. I better eat something soon.” Still, she didn’t leave the wolf’s side.

  “Okay, I gotta climb on your back and see what it feels like.” She went around to his front and stared into his eyes. “You won’t mind, will you?” She felt a little foolish asking the wolf for his permission, but she couldn’t quite make herself climb onto his back until she did.

  She waited, but his expression didn’t change. “Of course it didn’t change. What did you expect him to do? Answer you?”

  Letting out an exasperated breath, she went around to his side. The wood was still very warm beneath her hands. “Weird.” Maybe he’d been sitting in the sun in the back of the delivery truck for a while.

  She lifted her hands and stared at them before slowly putting them back on the wolf. The wood no longer felt quite so smooth beneath her fingertips. It felt rougher, almost like fur.

  “Now you’re letting your imagination run away with you,” she scolded. “Just climb on and try him out so you can get something to eat.” Pep talk done, she swung one leg over the creature’s back and pulled herself on. It wasn’t quite as easy as
she’d anticipated and she had to dig her fingers into his neck to steady herself. “There had to have been some kind of saddle or something on you years ago.”

  Clamping her thighs tight around his flanks, she straightened. “This is so cool.” She laughed and playfully tapped her hand against his hind flanks. “Giddy up.”

  Something rippled beneath her right thigh. “What the heck?” She moved her leg and frowned. “Must have been a muscle twitch or something.”

  Sabrina settled more firmly onto the wolf’s back and closed her eyes. Meditation was something she’d done since she was a teenager. She found it helped her to tap into her higher self, the kernel of inner wisdom that easily got lost in the hustle and bustle of life. It also helped her focus her talents, both the tarot reading and the painting.

  It had been weeks since she’d meditated. Not since she’d returned from her trip to North Dakota, and that just wasn’t like her at all. Well, there was no time like the present. Sabrina focused on the wolf beneath her and the one tattooed on her back. The wolf was her totem animal, her protector.

  She took a deep breath and slowly released it. Her heartbeat slowed, and her body felt heavy. She’d never told anyone before, not even her granny, but sometimes when she meditated it felt as though she traveled to other places and dimensions and talked to the most interesting people. They were more vision quests than meditations, and they were both exhilarating and scary at the same time.

  Was that why the evil entity had latched onto her? Had she inadvertently encouraged it or attracted it during one of her deep meditation sessions or one of her vision quests? The very idea made her feel slightly nauseous.

  More than a little unsettled, she opened her eyes and started to slide from the wolf’s back. Before she’d moved more than an inch or two, the creature seemed to move beneath her, forcing her to grab his neck to keep from taking a tumble. Stretched out over his back, she clung to him using her arms and legs. “What the hell is going on?”

  Laughter echoed around her, dark and ominous. She recognized it from her dreams. “Oh, shit.” The wolf raised his massive head, tilted it back and howled, the mournful sound bouncing off the ceiling and walls. Sabrina closed her eyes and buried her face against his neck, feeling the brush of his fur against her cheek.

  Impossible. Yet it was happening.

  In the background, music began to play. It was tinny and seemed to be coming from far away. It was music with no words, but the kind one immediately associated with carnival rides, especially carousels.

  “This isn’t real.” She forced her eyes open and turned her head. Her apartment was spinning around her, or maybe she was the one spinning and not the apartment. “Stop,” she yelled, but there was no one to pay any attention to her.

  She was forced to close her eyes as the blur of movement was making her stomach roil. Her temples throbbed and lights seemed to burst from behind her eyelids, making her wonder if she was having some kind of migraine-induced hallucination.

  The muscles in her arms and legs trembled as she clung to the wolf. No longer inanimate wood, the creature was all muscle and sinew as it shifted beneath her. His long claws scraped over the wood floor as they spun wildly in place. He howled again, as though he didn’t like what was happening any more than she did.

  Her fingers slipped and she yelled, grabbing on extra tight. This had to end soon, didn’t it? Her phone rang. It might as well have been five miles away rather than less than five feet. She couldn’t reach it and call for help.

  She began to pray. To God, to her granny, to all the saints she could think of, but nothing made the spinning stop. Sabrina felt herself slip to one side and knew she couldn’t hang on any longer. She prayed she didn’t break any major bones when she hit the floor.

  Giving into the inevitable, she forced her eyes open and tried to time her fall to coincide with a turn toward the sofa. Maybe she’d bypass the coffee table and land on the cushions. Or maybe she’d crash into the far wall or the bookcase instead.

  She counted to five and let go, flinging herself to the side. The wolf howled as though he was in excruciating pain, but she couldn’t worry about him now. She smashed into the edge of the coffee table before rolling onto the sofa. Her head hit the arm of the sofa and she blinked as the world threatened to go black.

  Mordecai prowled through the thick woods of the Cascade Mountains, moving swiftly from tree to tree, using them to mask his movements. He inhaled the fresh scent of damp earth and evergreen even though it stung his lungs and made his eyes burn. Too much time in Hades’ domain was changing him physically as well as mentally. He shrugged off the pain and inhaled again to remind himself of why he was doing what he was doing. He had a plan and nothing could stop him now. Neither Hades nor the Lady.

  Each step he took was pure pleasure after spending so many centuries locked in stasis. He welcomed the stretch of his muscles and the crunch of the ground beneath his booted feet.

  He’d enjoyed many pleasures since being released decades before. Food, drink, women, he’d had his fill of all of them, enjoying what had been taken from him so long ago. But his enjoyment had been tempered by the fact that his torment wasn’t over and wouldn’t be until the curse was broken for all of them once and for all.

  What had the Lady been thinking to curse them as she had? He immediately dismissed the question as irrelevant. All that mattered was here and now.

  He wound his way steadily through the woods, ignoring the silence that preceded him. All the animals fled as soon as they scented him, sensing the predator within. The stench of Hell clung to him, permeating his very pores.

  A sardonic smile crossed his face. Brimstone and death—he should bottle it and see if it would sell.

  He was getting closer to the Lady now. Could sense her presence just up ahead. He wondered why she didn’t flee from him as the animals had. Surely she knew Hades had sent him to destroy her. The Lady might have lost the battle with Hades, but she was anything but stupid. In fact, she was much more intelligent than the Greek god would ever be.

  The path opened up before him, the tall redwoods parting to reveal a small glade with a tiny steam running alongside it. She was perched on a rock, staring into the water as it trickled and bubbled its way along. She was clad in a flowing gown of green, her feet bare. Her long hair cascaded down her back and pooled behind her on the rock. The colors were just as vibrant as he remembered—every shade of brown from light tan to rust. Her eyes would be blue, as pale as the sky on a summer’s day. She was the earth personified.

  She slowly turned her head and watched him approach.

  “Lady.” He gave her a mocking bow.

  “Mordecai.” He shuddered at the sound of his name leaving her lips. He never thought he’d hear it again.

  “You know why I am here?” Of course, she knew. The Lady was nobody’s fool.

  “I know.” Her serene expression never wavered, and that pricked Mordecai’s temper. He manifested his sword from thin air and held it above his head. She glanced at it but otherwise gave no sign she was the least bit concerned. “There is no hurry, is there?”

  He slowly lowered the sword back to his side and asked the one question that had tormented him for more than five thousand years. “Why?”

  There was no need to explain any further. She knew he wanted to know why she’d cursed her warriors to a living death for all these years.

  Sorrow radiated from her like a beacon, making his chest ache. He steeled himself against such emotion. “Ah, Mordecai, you always had such trouble with trust.”

  She pushed off the rock and walked toward him, stopping a few feet in front of him. The grass beneath her feet seemed to rise to cushion her soles as they crossed it. The trees bent, their branches shading her from the rays of the setting sun. The wind gently caressed her skin and teased the thick strands of her hair.

  He wanted to hate her but could not.

  “Why? I could not bear for my loyal warriors to be locked in Hell where
Hades’ demons could torment you for eternity.”

  “We could have won.” That had always rankled him. She’d given up, not believing they could defeat Hades’ minions.

  “Oh, Mordecai. Always so brash with no patience.”

  He stiffened. “You were always critical of me. I often wondered why you didn’t destroy me.”

  Horror crossed her face. “Destroy you. Never.” The vehemence of her reply hit him hard. “I was never critical of you, my warrior. I see you as you are and know you have such potential for greatness inside you, but you lacked the self-assurance the others had, always feeling the need to have to prove yourself.”

  She made him sound like a puny human child seeking his parent’s approval. “I don’t need to prove myself to anyone.”

  She nodded her agreement. “No, you don’t.”

  “You know why Hades sent me to you?”

  “I do.”

  “You know what I must do?”

  She gifted him with a soft smile. “I know.” She walked toward him, totally fearless and held out her arms to him in total surrender.

  Chapter Six

  Sabrina forced her eyes open, fighting the darkness that threatened to claim her. Ignoring the throbbing in the back of her skull, she turned her head toward the wolf. He was spinning madly, head tipped back as he howled his displeasure.

  What was happening?

  The wolf was carved from wood. It wasn’t real. But there was no denying the growl that grew louder with each passing second.

  It was making her dizzy to watch him so she closed her eyes and tried to figure out what she should do. Call animal control? They’d think she was out of her mind. Call her friends? She had no idea how dangerous the creature was.

  She opened her eyes and made herself look again. What she was thinking was insane. An inanimate object didn’t come to life. That was impossible.

  Yet the wolf was still in the corner, moving faster and faster. Suddenly, the creature sank down on his back haunches. Muscles straining, he launched himself into the air straight at her.