Book of Souls (Supernatural War Book 1)

by Steven L Smithen

  Continuing where Talia left off, I made my voice deeper and rougher “Who in the hell told you that you could treat women like you did? We may be shifters but we are more than just our animal. We use the thing that sits between our ears. We don’t succumb to animal instinct.”

  About to piss himself Shane answered. “Dutch said we can do what we want. We are superior to the humans. He isn’t going to let you get away with this.”

  I slammed him up against the wall again. “Then you, Dutch, and anyone else who thinks like this has 24 hours to leave the pack territory. After that your asses are mine.” My voice got deathly quiet.

  “Shane, you tell Dutch and his buddies that you are no longer part of the pack. You guys are exiled from our territory by order of Maeve Callahan, Alpha of the Northern New England Pack.” My sister said formally. “After that, all bets are off. Then you will find out how badass my brother is.”

  Dropping Shane, I turned and walked toward my sister. “I’m hungry. Let’s go to Paddy O’s. Haven’t been there in ages.”

  I heard growling behind me as Talia yelled: “watch out”. Turning, it seemed Shane had gotten his balls back and was going to charge me. Besides being an alpha werewolf, my sister and I hold several black belts in multiple martial arts disciplines. Before I could make a move, Talia had him a Brazilian Jujitsu choke hold on the ground in less than 10 seconds. A minute later Shane was out like baby. Talia is scary when it comes to Brazilian Jujitsu. People often misjudge her because of her looks. They don’t see the werewolf with MMA skills that would make the Gracie bothers proud.

  Dropping Shane to the ground she looked at me. “Paddy O’s sounds great. It seems I’ve worked up an appetite now.” She beamed her pearly whites at me.

  Looking at Talia as I propped Shane against the wall. “What do you want to do about him now?”

  “Nothing. I texted Dutch telling him to come pick up this piece of shit. I also went ahead and told him that he has 24 hours to leave pack territory. Figure Shane here can fill him in on the rest. Let’s go.” She said as we left the parking garage to head across the street to Paddy O’s for lunch.

  Two hours later we finished lunch, and I left Talia behind to head home. She said something about staying in our Boston townhouse so she could have my pack office fumigated or what not. Who knew with her. She probably needed to have furniture delivered. Cruising north on route 1A along the New Hampshire coast, I rolled the windows down to enjoy the smell of the sea. I love this drive. It’s not all beach. The coast is a mix of rocky shoreline with a few secluded beaches here and there. Turning into the circular drive, I noticed that my parents weren’t home. They must still be up in Maine. They liked to take the pack up to Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park for a fall getaway before winter sets in. The Park is usually closed to the public this time of year. Our pack makes some large donations throughout the year which grants us off season access to the more secluded areas of the park. It’s a great place for the wolves to stretch their legs and allows us to hunt as a pack.

  I parked my truck and grabbed my overnight bag. I would be headed back down to Boston in a few days to begin watching over that part of the pack territory for my mom.

  Chapter 3

  Talia

  I left Dorian after our lunch together heading over to our townhouse. I needed to see about getting everything ready for him. As I pulled up to the curb one of our security team came out meeting me on the sidewalk.

  “We got your text about Shane, Dutch, and the others.” He said while scanning the street for any threats.

  “Thanks, Mark. Dorian will be down in a couple of days to take over running the pack down here.” I continued “Is everything ready for him?”

  Walking towards the house he replied “Yes ma’am it is. He shouldn’t have any issues with us or the rest of the staff.”

  “Good. Just so you know he will probably run you guys through more than enough drills and set up a practice schedule with both firearms and hand to hand weapons. Can take the Marine out of the Corps but not the Corps out of the Marine. Just want you guys to be prepared.” I said as we walked inside.

  Chapter 4

  Dorian

  A few days later, I found myself driving back down to Boston to start running that pack for my mother. Dad and she had come home the day after I got there. Talia and I took them out to dinner in the nearby town of Portsmouth at one of our favorite places. We Spent the next day helping my dad do little things around the house for mom while Talia supervised and got me up to speed on the goings on of the pack. All in all, it was a great couple of days decompressing after my time in the military.

  Mom had always wanted to split the pack up to make it more manageable from a geographical standpoint. I couldn’t argue with her viewpoint. My only request was for Talia to come with me as I would need her, having been gone for so long. The drive down was uneventful. As I pulled into the parking area behind the townhouse I saw Talia’s Mustang.

  As I got out of the truck I surveyed the area around the house and noticed the security cameras, motion sensors, as well as the physical security personnel dressed how you would expect. Tactical shirts and pants along with combat boots. They were armed with police issue Tazers and collapsible batons. As I locked my truck, I began my tour around the property to see what improvements can be made. I noticed that the security guards appeared to be using their superior sense of smell and hearing along with their eyes. One guard turned into the wind to catch my scent as I approached. He reached for his Tazer as he spoke into a throat mic. Within seconds, I sensed two more guards come up behind me.

  I turned to look over my shoulder and noticed that these two weren’t playing games judging by the submachine guns they held at the ready. Turning back I just raised my eyebrows. “I believe that you are trespassing. Visitors are to park on the street so they can enter using the front entrance.” The guard in front of me said.

  I was impressed with their response time. I wasn’t really surprised that they didn’t recognize me. I avoided this place whenever I was on leave. It was a good that these guys were aware of their surroundings. That meant my sister took her safety and protection seriously. “Nice response time, and good use of your superior senses. I like the fact that you didn’t rely on all the technology being used to survey the property.” I offered, holding my arms apart, showing them that I was unarmed “My sister definitely chose her house security wisely.” At the mention of my sister, they visibly stiffened.

  “And who you would be?” The guard in front of me asked.

  “I am Dorian Callahan. Talia is my sister. I have come home to help my mother, our Alpha, take control of the Boston area.” I answered.

  They calmed down noticeably, but still held their weapons at the ready while the guard in front of me talked into his mic. “We have an unknown shifter claiming to be Dorian Callahan around the side of the house. Can we get conformation on his identity?” He continued to scrutinize me while waiting for a response from his superiors.

  After a couple of minutes, a reply came over their earpieces. Being a Were I was able to hear the reply “That’s him per visual comparison as well as Talia confirming through the video feed we have. Can one of you escort him inside.”

  The guard in the front put his tazer back into its holster. “If you would follow me, Mr. Callahan. I apologize for our response.”

  “Don’t apologize for doing your job. Call me Dorian. If we’re going to be working together I’m going to need all the help I can get. I’ve been gone for too long, things have obviously changed in that time.” I said, following him around to the back entrance.

  Talia was waiting in the kitchen with a pot of coffee for me. I love my sister. She gets my coffee addiction just like every other New Englander.

  “I see you’ve met some of the guys,” my sister said as I reached to I make me a cup.

  “Yes, I was pleasantly surprised by their attention to detail and that they didn’t rely solely on the electronic s
ecurity,” I replied, taking my first sip of black gold.

  “Well, I knew you’d be worried about me, so I threw out some feelers among the packs asking for former Special Operations Team members who’d be interested in something a little different.” She continued, “James really helped with finding Thomas and Craig. James handles all the electronic security. Thomas and Craig handle all the physical security. Craig’s SEAL training and knowledge has been invaluable in dealing with Dutch and his followers. Dutch went off the deep end after mom told him he was no longer the leader of the Boston area.”

  “That bad huh?” I said

  “Dutch and his band of douchebags have been a nightmare. For some reason, he thinks that weres should be the right rulers of the humans. Not that the Vampires and other supes would let him get away with that thinking.” She said as she motioned me to followe her out of the kitchen.

  We moved down the hall towards what I believed would be her office. “So, you are expecting him to not follow moms order to get out of town,” I said as she led me into her office.

  Sitting at her desk, she picked up a folder and handed it to me. I opened it and it appeared to be some type of dossier on Dutch and his group.

  “Yes, I am expecting him to do exactly that. I’m sure he’ll start some shit with us, but mostly with you. Shane is a submissive, Dutch will dismiss his retelling of the encounter with you. Then he will most likely challenge you.” She replied.

  I skimmed through the photos and documents that Talia had given me. I began to formulate a plan on how to deal with Dutch. With security in hand for the house, I felt safer going after these morons. I knew that Talia could most likely hand Dutch his ass, but I wasn’t going to trust him not to do something underhanded against her. She’s badass but lacks the years of combat experience that I acquired in the Corps. “I’ll consider Dutch as soon as I get moved in and settled; unless he shows up, I’ll keep my word.” Looking up from the papers I asked Talia. “Does Kenji still have his dojo in the neighborhood? I’d love to see him and get a good workout in.”

  A wicked smirk appeared on her face. “Yes, he still does and it’s in the same location. He’s got a new student that I think you’ll love to meet.”

  “Really, who?” I said placing Dutch’s folder on her desk as I got up.

  “Nope, not going to happen, bro. You’re going to have to find out for yourself.” She continued “Now go! I’ve got work to do and you need to get your stuff moved in. Your office is across the hall and is already set up. I’ll text you all the appropriate codes and passwords. Now to go see Kenji.”

  Chapter 5

  Later that afternoon I made my way to Kenji’s dojo. I found a parking spot and made my way inside. Kenji was teaching a class in Aikido. The class looked to be mostly teenagers. He looked over and saw me when I entered and smiled immediately. He turned back to his class and bowed deeply. “Class, that is all for today.” They all bowed back, then began picking up their belongings heading for the door.

  “Looks like you’re still doing well here in the land of the barbarians?” I asked him.

  “Yes, very much so, my friend. Are you home for good or just a visit?” He replied.

  “Home for good. Mom asked if I could take over down here for her. I’ll also be able to help Talia out with other issues.” I looked around and saw the weapon racks by the back wall. “Do you mind if I get in a workout today? I would love to start coming back here again. You know, get into a routine.”

  “You are most welcome. Do you need a gi?” he asked.

  “No thank you, I brought mine with me,” I answered.

  Chapter 6

  Khloe

  As I made my way into the dojo, I noticed a man about my age working out on the mats by himself. It appeared he was doing katas with a staff. He was a sight to behold stripped down to his waist, wearing only the pants to his gi. His torso was ripped not in a bulky way. He appeared to be six foot tall with dirty blond hair, which was currently matted with sweat that covered his oh so perfect body. A body, I might add that had some of the most amazing ink on it. He had full sleeves on both arms, done in Celtic/Norse patterns that had dragons worked into them. Over his heart, he had the Celtic Tree of Life, which I admired since it looks a lot like mine. As I made my way around towards the women’s locker room, I watched as he went through a series of movements with the staff. He was all grace, balance, and speed as he whipped the staff around his body. It was like watching a professional ballet performer.

  Some 15 minutes later, I emerged from the locker room. Mr. Tall, sweaty, and sexy was talking with sensei Kenji as I approached. “Ah, Khloe, I would like you to meet Dorian. He used to train here when he was younger before he went away for school.” Kenji said as he turned to me. “Dorian, this is Khloe. She’s been coming here for about 4 years now but has been training her whole life. Somewhat like you have. I thought the two of you would like to spar together. I think you’d challenge each other quite well.” He said with a sly smile. Oh, he was up to something. He knew about my shifter abilities and what comes with that.

  “Nice to meet you, Dorian,” I said turning to Kenji “Hand to hand or with weapons?”

  Kenji’s smile only got bigger. “Hand to hand first, then weapons.” He then continued a little quieter, “We are alone this evening so no holding back.” He gave both of us a curious look. We both nodded.

  Dorian turned and kneeled in a meditative pose. I began to go through my stretches and warmup routine. After another 20 minutes, Kenji called us to the center of the mats. We faced him. “Now, no holding back either of you. Dorian, Khloe isn’t a normal woman. While I will not be telling you what she is, just know that she should be your equal in speed. Same goes for you Khloe. I know how hard it is for you two to find someone that you can spar with without holding back. Now turn and bow.” We both bowed to Kenji, then to each other. Kenji said the magic word “Begin!”

  Dorian was still shirtless. Damn, that was going to be a distraction, but what the hell. I was wearing a sports bra that displayed my ink, as well as yoga pants. His blinding speed caught me off guard as he came at me. Kenji noticed, saying, “I told you, Khloe.”

  Time to even the odds.

  We began circling, testing the other’s reactions. Damn, he was good. Was that sweat running down his abs? Focus on the fight, not his six pack. That got me slammed to the mat. Jumping back up, I noticed he had a lopsided grin on his face. He assumed a relaxed stance and gave me the “come and get some” motion with his hand like Bruce Lee did in his movies. Letting out a breath I didn’t realize I had been holding, I centered myself.

  I took my stance across from him and taunted, “Come on big boy, show me what you got.” Moving with speed he wasn’t prepared for I rushed inside his guard. I climbed his torso like a spider monkey and I grabbed his arm while locking my legs around his head. I let gravity take over as I fell backwards, pulling him with me. We landed on the mat with me holding him in a joint lock/choke combo. He tapped my leg in submission.

  I jumpe up after I released him. He watched me with those alluring indigo eyes. His gaze seemed to pierce my soul. “Had enough yet?” I asked.

  “Not in the slightest.” He replied with that sexy-as-hell lopsided grin.

  We went at each other for what seemed like hours. We each scored hits on the other. It sure was nice to be able to let go and use all my abilities to the fullest. When Kenji called break, we were both drenched in sweat and breathing hard.

  “Kenji was right, you are an outstanding fighter, Khloe,” Dorian said with admiration.

  “You’re not so bad yourself,” I replied smirking while admiring his ink.

  Chapter 7

  Dorian

  Who is this woman? Her scent says she’s a shifter, but I can’t tell what type. I can also scent something else but I’m not sure what. Her fighting skills are amazing, so is all the ink on her. As I watched her stretch after the sparing session. Is this who Talia was hinting about earlier tod
ay? I don’t know but I want to get to know her more.

  She is about five foot five inches with the athletic build of a gymnast. The tattoos on her arms and back are intricate and very well done. They are a mix of Celtic and what I think is Mayan, not sure. She has shoulder length dark brown hair and these amazing green eyes. They looked as though they were lit by a hidden fire.

  “Khloe, your fighting style is amazing. I don’t think I have ever encountered it in my travels.” I said.

  She looked at me while stretching. “Thanks, it’s the fighting style of my mother’s people. I have been studying it since I could walk. It’s called the Path of the Eagle. My mom is descended from the ancient Incan people of Peru.”

  “That explains the ink on your left arm, then. How about your right arm and back?” I ask.

  “The ink on my right is me honoring my father’s heritage. He’s Irish by way of Boston.”

  I noticed that she didn’t say a thing about the back tat. I guessed I was going to have to work for that one. “Hey, I’m hungry after all that,” I said gesturing back towards the mats. “How about dinner? Nothing fancy. No strings attached. It would give us a chance to get to know each other without dodging the others punches.”

  She gave me a skeptical look for a second before she began laughing softly. “Sure, let me get cleaned up.” She began heading towards the women’s locker room.

  “Perfect, I just need to let my sister know that I’m going out to dinner.”

  Khloe stopped about halfway to the locker room and turned. “Tell Talia I said hi.” I was about to ask how she knew my sister when Talia answered the phone.