by Laura Hysell
Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
CHAPTER THIRTY
Bloody Endings
Laura Hysell
Copyright © 2018 Laura Hysell
All rights reserved.
Cover Design by Fiona Jayde Media
This book is dedicated to everyone who helped me with this series from its first inception to its conclusion.
My mom, who didn’t get to see the conclusion of Izzy’s story, but supported me every step of the way. I miss you every day.
My husband, who isn’t a big reader, but reads every story I write.
My kids, who want to read it (not until they’re older) and always ask to help.
My BETA readers, sending funny comments and plot help, as well as moral support.
My friends, sharing my excitement as well as my posts, and trying not to ask too often when the next book will be released.
My fans, for keeping me going! Thanks for the support!
To Izzy- Thanks for the adventure!
CHAPTER ONE
Mark, I thought, the name carrying across my mind in a whisper.
The wolf before me looked down at me, his head cocked to one side as though listening to something in the distance. Izzy? His voice came to me, echoing in my mind, stirring thoughts and images from my memories.
I knew him now. He was Mark and I was Izzy. We were wolves, but we were also human. I stretched casually, feeling the muscles in my new wolf body, before pouncing on him. We rolled across the floor, nipping at each other gently. I growled, tugging on his ear. He turned, pushing me off him as we rolled across the floor again. I backed up against the bars of the cage, looking briefly at the men watching us. Their faces were familiar to me. Hugo. Jared. Jed. I stared at Jed, feeling the power of his green-eyed stare. Alpha.
Isabella, he said softly.
Izzy, I corrected.
Mark moved toward me and sniffed along my neck. I turned my head toward his and nipped at him, the reaction natural. He stopped and looked at me, his eyes soft and golden. If I could have smiled, I would have. He nudged me again, nuzzling against the soft fur of my neck. Home, I said softly, and Mark echoed my words.
Home.
The Alpha spoke then, and I stopped everything, struggling to understand his human words. “Let’s leave them alone. I think she’ll be just fine.”
Yes, I would be just fine. I knew it. I don’t know what I would be fine with, but with Mark I would be fine nonetheless. Go, I said, and the Alpha turned his green eyes back on me. He nodded his head, and the other people left the room. The Alpha was the last to leave.
“I’ll be close by if you need me. Welcome home, Izzy,” he said, as he walked out of the barn. I pressed my face against the bars and watched him go. Home. Yes, I was home. I sniffed the air, tasting the mixture of scents on my tongue.
The wolf nudged me again, and I ran away from him, making him chase me in the small space. He growled and pounced on me, but I darted under him, sliding onto the mat lying in the corner. The wolf followed me, jumping on the mat behind me and growling deep in his throat as he stood over me. I curled myself between his front paws, rubbing my body across his and nipping gently at the underside of his neck. He growled again and I curled up on the bed, squirming across the blankets until I was tucked against the far side of the cushions. The wolf followed me, once again lying down close beside me.
I closed my eyes and leaned against him, smelling the rich scents in the air. Mark, I said again, touching my mind to his.
My Izzy, he replied, nudging me softly.
Safe? I asked, struggling to form human words around my wolf-brain.
Yes, he replied. We’re safe.
Home?
Yes. We’re home, my love.
I closed my eyes and relaxed, breathing in the intoxicating scent that was Mark. My body was exhausted, and all I wanted to do was sleep. Or perhaps eat. Pictures of deer raced across my mind, and I practically salivated at the thought of chasing down a large deer and digging into the soft underbelly.
Sleep first, hunt later, Mark said, reading my thoughts.
Yes, sleep first. Deer could wait. My eyes flicked opened, and I stared at the wolf beside me. Deer? I’d never hunted in my life, and here I was, picturing taking down a full-grown deer. I was a new wolf, with absolutely no skill. Huh? I was a wolf? I shook my head in confusion.
I looked down at my body, admiring the soft tan and gray fur that grew lighter under my belly. My tail flicked of its own accord, and I turned my eyes toward it. Darker fur ran across my back and down my thumping tail. Yes, I was a wolf, physically, but I wasn’t. What was I? The wolf beside me sat up and nudged me gently with his nose. I looked up at him, recognizing my mate. Mate? What? That was Mark. He was just in his wolf form.
Mark? Werewolf? I asked. My thoughts were a confused jumble, words I should know coming to my mind as a series of pictures.
He looked at me curiously, then nodded his massive wolf head. Yes, Izzy and Mark werewolves. You’re safe. Sleep now.
Human, I responded, shaking out my fur. And wolf?
Yes. Sleep.
I rested my head on my paws once more, and Mark moved in close beside me. My mind felt sluggish and strange, but I trusted Mark. He would keep me safe. I peeked my eyes open once more, staring at the bars of the cage. The cage wasn’t to keep me safe, but to keep others safe from me. Hmm, I didn’t feel dangerous. Mark nudged me again, and I lowered my head to my paws, closing my eyes.
* * *
I rolled over on my side, stretching and yawning. A thin stream of sunlight shone across my face, and I turned over on my stomach to bury my face in my pillow, only to realize I had no pillow. I propped myself up and looked, moving the blankets around. Something shifted beside me, and I stopped moving, my heart speeding up as the adrenaline kicked in.
“Good morning,” Mark mumbled.
I turned my head as Mark scooted in close beside me. He propped himself up on his side, looking at me with his rich, brown eyes. My own eyes took in Mark’s appearance. He was covered by the same thin blanket that covered me, but his upper bare chest was visible. I looked down at myself and immediately dropped onto my stomach. Why was I naked with what appeared to be an equally naked Mark and no immediate recollection of how we came to be in such a state?
“Um, good morning,” I muttered in response, rolling over and pulling the blanket around me more securely as I tried to get my heartbeat to slow down.
“What do you remember?” he asked.
“I’m not sure,” I hedged. My memory seemed to be scrambled, and I couldn’t figure out what was dream and what was reality. Mark seemed to be in better shape than I last remembered though, and that was promising. Slowly, I sat up, pulling the edge of the blanket with me as I looked around.
> We were in a cage, and not just any cage. This was one of the werewolf cages in Jed’s barn. My heart sped up as memory returned. I touched my neck, but there was nothing but smooth skin. No bandages. No injury. I looked over at Mark, who was also staring at my neck. The usual smile on his face was gone, replaced by a deep frown and a look of profound grief.
“You bit me,” I said softly.
He closed his eyes and swallowed. “Yes.”
I stared at him, unsure if I wanted to believe what my memory was telling me had happened. “Am I a werewolf?”
Mark leaned forward, reaching his hand toward me, but I backed up. He sighed loudly and dropped his hand. “Yes, Izzy, you’re a werewolf.”
“Because you bit me.”
“Yes,” he responded shortly. He looked down at his hands and took a shaking breath. “You’re a werewolf because of me. It’s my fault.”
“That’s not what I meant,” I said. My memory was quickly returning. Henri had been controlling Mark, telling him to kill me. Mark had bitten down on my neck, drawing blood, and infecting me at the same time. Of course Mark would take the blame, because he had technically been the one to bite me. I knew Mark, though. He still blamed himself for Beth being a werewolf, and now he would blame himself for turning me as well. No, this wasn’t his fault, not really. “This is Henri’s fault.”
“Izzy, I was the one who bit you.”
“He was controlling you. You never would have done that if you’d been yourself. I don’t blame you, Mark. I blame Henri.”
Mark looked up at me, his eyes wide. “You remember?”
I nodded. “I’m starting too, but things are a little fuzzy. It’s like waking up from anesthesia. How long have we been in this cage?”
“Three days.”
“Three days! Wow, okay,” I said, curling my feet underneath me as I looked around our enclosure. “What exactly have we been doing for three days?”
Mark laughed and shook his head. “Don’t worry, Izzy, nothing like that. We’ve been wolves. With this being your first transformation, we weren’t sure how you’d cope. Plus, it was a full moon. I’m not surprised you don’t remember anything. Most don’t remember their time as a wolf for several months.”
“So, what did we do?” I asked again. I had a few memories, but they felt more like vague dreams.
“We were confined to this cage. Mostly, you slept. We ate some rather tasty rabbits though,” he said, and I darted a look up at him to see if he was joking. A smile played at his lips, but I was pretty sure he wasn’t kidding. I distinctly remembered the taste of raw, warm rabbit.
“You know, on second thought, I don’t need to know any details.”
Mark chuckled and scooted toward me, watching my face carefully. I kept my face neutral, and he scooted closer again. He moved in until his leg was touching mine, and then held his arms open, waiting for me. I smiled and met him the rest of the way, letting him wrap his arms around me. He slowly scooted us both down onto the floor mat, pulling me against his body.
I rested my head on his chest and tried to relax, letting the memory pieces float into my mind. “I like rabbit,” I admitted.
Mark laughed and wrapped his arms tighter around me. “I do too,” he said finally. “Just wait until you have a deer though.”
I was silent, taking slow, deep breaths. “So, I survived.”
“Yes, you did.”
“And now I’m going to turn all furry every month?”
“That’s the gist of it.”
I sighed and tried to relax. “There’s more though, isn’t there?”
“There always is.”
I grunted acknowledgment, knowing the other shoe was bound to drop sooner or later. “How long do I have to stay in this cage?”
“Well, you’ll have to go in the cage for the next several full moons. Eventually, you’ll be able to run with us when we hunt. Everyone is different though,” he replied.
“I meant, how long do I have to stay in this cage right now? The full moon is over, right? Can we go to the house, or are we stuck in here? Am I going to change again?”
“We can leave as soon as Jed thinks we’re stable enough. You’ll need someone with you at all times though, to see how you handle your emotions. The last thing you need is to turn furry unexpectedly.”
“We?”
Mark sighed loudly and lowered me back onto the mat while he looked down at me. “The vampire had a pretty good hold on me, Izzy. Your brother has an antidote, but he’d never used it until now. No one’s really sure how well it’ll work. I feel better most of the time, but I don’t think it’s a cure.”
“Henri is still trying to control you, isn’t he?”
Mark nodded and touched his head. “I can feel it sometimes, like a pressure in my mind. Justin wants to give me his antidote in multiple doses, but we just haven’t had a chance yet. Plus, with me being in wolf form, my body metabolizes the serum too fast. I’ll have to stay in human form for a few days for the antidote to fully take effect. That’s what Justin thinks, anyway.” He stopped talking and brushed a strand of hair off my face. “It’s already been better the last few days though.”
“Because of the serum?”
“Because of you.”
I blushed and looked away, but his hand was under my chin, turning me back up to face him. “I’m so sorry I bit you. I don’t think I’ve been so scared in all my life. If you hadn’t survived the change, I don’t know if I’d still be here. I know it was that damn vampire’s doing, but it was still my wolf. It was still my teeth. It was still me. And I knew what was happening.”
“He ordered you to kill me, Mark. You didn’t though.” I stopped, taking in the sad expression he was trying to keep off his face. “How did you fight him off? I know what it’s like being controlled by a vampire. He said kill, but you didn’t. You stopped.”
He smiled crookedly, with one side of his mouth going up, and stroked my cheek. “I still hurt you though, and you could have died.”
“I don’t blame you, Mark, so don’t you go blaming yourself. It was Henri’s fault, not yours. I will never blame you for this. I’m alive and I’m safe.”
Mark kissed me suddenly, his lips pressing harshly against mine as his rough beard scratched my face. He pulled back just as quickly, a smile on his lips. “I’m going to remember you said that. And in five or ten or fifty years, when you get mad at me and try blaming me for you being a wolf, I’m going to remember this. And I will bring it up.”
“And then you’ll be sleeping on the couch!” I retorted, smacking him playfully on the arm.
He chuckled and rolled me over until I was lying on top of him. “We’ll never go to bed angry.” He rolled us again, until he was on top of me and the blankets had fallen off, leaving us lying skin to skin. “Who wants to go to bed angry, or sleep on a couch, when we can have glorious makeup sex?”
I laughed at that, and Mark lowered his mouth to mine, kissing me tenderly. “You think you’re going to remember this conversation in fifty years, huh?” I asked between kisses.
He leaned his mouth next to my ear, gently nipping at my earlobe. “I remember every moment I’m with you. That’s how I fought him off. You brought me back.” He rubbed his face across my neck, and I shivered at the sensation of his stubble rubbing across my tender skin. His mouth moved across my neck to my other ear. “I love you.”
I closed my eyes, feeling the weight of his words settle on me. His breathing slowed, even as his heart sped up. He was afraid, I realized. Afraid I would reject him. Afraid I didn’t love him. Afraid I loved another.
Mark, I whispered with my mind, seeking out his presence, not sure if it would work in human form.
Izzy, he responded, and his mouth moved across my chin, trailing kisses once more.
I opened my eyes and grabbed his face, forcing him to stop and look at me. His eyes were their usual warm brown, but there was an edge of gold to them. My wolf stirred, and I felt the urge to bare my thro
at to him. Instead, I did what I should have done a long time ago. I embraced my feelings and quit hiding. “I love you, Mark,” I said, staring him in the eye.
I love you, I repeated, reaching my mind out to touch his again.
I am yours, he responded, as his mouth met mine once more. Forever.
CHAPTER TWO
I was lying comfortably in Mark’s arms, chatting about our former students, when Jed walked into the barn. Mark immediately stood up, letting the blanket drop so I could cover myself with it. I smiled at the gesture as I wrapped the blanket around myself in a makeshift dress. The smile slipped from my face when I saw who had followed Jed into the barn. Beth. I suppressed a groan and inserted myself in front of Mark, blocking his nakedness from her view.
Jed wore a red flannel shirt, jeans, and cowboy boots coated in mud. Today, he also had a large belt buckle I’d never seen before, engraved with a wolf’s head. My eyes turned to Beth as she moved up beside him, a pile of clothes in her hands. She looked up at me with red-rimmed eyes, as though she had been crying, and quickly averted her face. Mark’s arms encircled me from behind, pulling me tightly against him in a comforting, yet possessive way.
“Well, it’s good to see you both in human form again,” Jed began as he leaned casually against the bars of the cage. “I’m sure Izzy has a lot of questions, but we’ll get to those soon enough. We brought you some clothes.”
Jed unlocked the cage and Beth stepped inside, holding the clothes out to me. I clutched the blanket with one arm while awkwardly reaching out to grab the clothes from Beth. She stepped back as soon as she had handed the clothes off to me, and quickly hurried out of the barn without a word. I watched her go, wondering what to make of her strange behavior, before turning my attention back to Jed.
“Are we good to come back to the house?” Mark asked.
Jed nodded and said, “I suppose so. Although, you won’t be allowed at any meetings I’m afraid. We really can’t take the risk of you overhearing something and it getting back to that damn vampire.” Jed turned toward me. “The same goes for you. For now, at least.”