Once Bitten_Wolves of Hemlock Hollow

by Heather McCorkle

  The smell of Raul’s expensive cologne wafted up from the envelope. How had I found that crap sexy? I wanted to toss the envelope away from me, but I couldn’t. There could be answers inside the damn thing, hopefully answers that wouldn’t sound as insane as I was beginning to feel.

  Before opening the envelope, I grabbed the screwdriver from the glove box and started the Jeep. Trying to keep one eye on my surroundings, I pulled out the letter with hands that shook like a junkie’s. It was written in his own handwriting, with an actual pen. I was surprised he hadn’t just texted me. Of course, that wouldn’t have had the same creepy factor this did, and this guy seemed to be all about the creep factor now.

  Sonya,

  For what it’s worth, I’m sorry things happened the way they did. That wasn’t how I wanted this to go. You’re far too special for it to have gone like this. I’m sorry. You will have questions about what you’re becoming, I have answers. Come find me. Until you do, may Loki watch over you.

  Yours,

  Raul

  “Becoming? What the hell?” I grumbled a few more choice words while looking inside the envelope again.

  Such a familiar closing to a letter hardly seemed appropriate after having only known him for two weeks, despite the mediocre make-out session that ended with far more kink than I’d liked. And “becoming”… What the hell was that supposed to mean? I chanced another look in the mirror, raising my upper lip into something like a snarl. The fangs were still there. But then I knew that already, I could feel them. It had to be drugs. But if that were so, why did I feel so lucid? I went over all the drugs I knew of, over the counter and otherwise, but couldn’t come up with any that possessed such a strong psychotropic effect and yet left the victim functional. Or maybe I just thought I was functional.

  Wait, had he seriously said Loki? I reread the note to make sure.

  “As in Loki from the Norse legends,” I murmured to myself.

  So the guy was into Odinism like my dad had been. That was only a weird coincidence, wasn’t it? More and more people embraced the old religions nowadays. It had nothing to do with my dad. It couldn’t. Tears blurred my vision. Either I was going mad or something seriously messed up was happening to me. Something impossible. I was leaning toward madness, or a delusion brought on by a roofie or those crazy stories my dad had told me years ago.

  You’re special, Sonya, chosen by Loki. Someday it will all make sense, he used to say. But this couldn’t possibly have anything to do with that. Those had been stories to entertain a young girl. Some girls got Cinderella for a bedtime tale; I got the Norse eddas. Some were princesses in their daddy’s eyes; I was touched by Loki. Tears made hot tracks down my cheeks.

  Maybe this sick bastard had known my dad somehow, met him in prison or something, and was messing with me. If that was the case, I was going to tear him a new one. No one messed with the memory of my dad.

  My fingers closed around a business card inside the envelope.

  The Staybridge Suites, Missoula, Montana.

  “Montana?” I exclaimed as I shook my head and threw the Jeep in reverse.

  The bastard expected me to meet him in Montana. Suddenly all those conversations about places we wanted to travel, his questions about where I had been, seemed decidedly pointed. He had not only done this on purpose, but it seemed he had planned it. And the sharp points of two pairs of fangs pushing against my lips meant I had no choice but to seek him out.

  Chapter Four

  Ty

  Thoughts still fuzzy from the aftereffects of the horse tranquilizer they had used on me, I glared across the table at my captors. Or rather, those who had ordered me to be brought in with the other delinquents. Six people sat on the other side of the solid oak table, three men and three women. A mixture of tension and power rolled off them. The tiny room was choked with it, making it seem all the smaller. One of the men wore a police uniform, the others were casually dressed, but they had no less of an authoritative air to them. Sunlight spilled through a window behind them, reminding me of how long they had knocked me out and held me up with their questioning.

  “I have already informed you that I knew nothing about what Raul was doing in my territory, that is why I was hunting him. If I had, I assure you, he would not have been successful. Now, let me go so I may check on the woman. I will not ask again,” I warned.

  If I had known what he was up to, Raul never would have succeeded. That poor woman… I had to get back to her. Not only was it my responsibility because she was in my territory, but something about her would not let go of me. Could I fight all six of them off to get away? I was not sure. But I was sure that I would try if I had to, and I let that show on my face. I knew I could take a few of them down at least, which would be devastating to them in more ways than one.

  One of the men in a black leather jacket sprawled a spider-like hand onto the desktop as he leaned forward. He glared down his hawkish nose at me, pinprick pupils dark behind his dirty blond hair. It took all my restraint not to lunge across the desk and tear into him. I could have broken my bonds easily and done so, but I was not about to give him the satisfaction of knowing he had riled me with no more than a look.

  “As you shouldn’t. You are in no position to ask for anything,” he practically hissed at me.

  The man in the police uniform shot the speaker a harsh glance. “Enough, Bain. I think we can all agree that Mr. Viðarrson had nothing to do with the woman getting attacked. He clearly tried to stop it. And you stepped out of your bounds of authority by tranquilizing him and bringing him in.” He gestured to someone standing behind me. “Remove his bonds and let him go. We have the matter of the woman’s kennari to discuss, and we must decide on it quickly.”

  Bain shot the man a sharp glare. “No, Isak, I had every right. The man was present during an unsanctioned biting. He wouldn’t have come in on his own, and you know it. We can’t let him go until we’re sure he had nothing to do with it.”

  “Agreed,” came a woman’s voice from beside him.

  A voice I had once found sultry. But now I heard the derisive, judgmental tone it truly held. Through the carefully styled wave of brown bangs, she tried to glare a hole through me. The disdain in eyes set above cheekbones so sharp they looked like they could cut made me wonder how I had ever found her lovely. To say Morene disliked me—and I her—was putting it far too gently.

  Pulling at the collar of his police uniform, Isak turned a hard look upon Bain. “We can, and we are. The majority has ruled.”

  I tensed as footsteps approached from behind. Steel rasped through sisal and my bonds loosened. The rope stuck to my blistered skin in places, forcing me to peel it off. The bastards had soaked it in wolfsbane. I cannot say that I blamed them, especially knowing now that it had been Bain who brought me in. He and I had a monumental score that he feared I would settle someday. Having the Council rein me in would make him feel safer. If they hadn’t taken such drastic measures with the wolfsbane-soaked ropes, this would have ended quite badly for him. But I had control of my temper now, and a reason not to act out. Yet.

  Tossing the rope aside, I rose from the chair, rolled my shoulders, and took a step toward the desk. The group across the table from me tensed as one, several of them moving to rise as well, Bain even baring his teeth. Not wanting to seem too aggressive, I halted. The three who had started to rise sat back down. Relief flashed across Bain’s hollow face.

  “Allow me to be her kennari,” I said, making it more of a demand than a question.

  Bain’s beady eyes narrowed at me and he pulled his lips up farther from his teeth. “Why in Helheimr would we do that?”

  “Because I am the closest one you have. And because she has met me. I tried to save her; she will be more likely to trust me,” I said.

  It was more than that, but I wasn’t about to admit it out loud. Hell, I didn’t want to admit it to myself. Something about that woman pulled at me. The instant I laid eyes on her I knew she was special. Whatev
er it was, it was likely what had drawn Raul to her, which meant I had to keep him away from her at all costs. But being her kennari would be a double-edged sword, because I would have to keep my distance from her emotionally. The code demanded it. At least she would be safe in my care, though. And a spark was just a spark. I was a grown man in full control of my emotions and libido. Control would not be an issue.

  Morene scoffed and rolled her eyes toward the ceiling. The jealousy I saw flash over her sharp features made my stomach roil. Bain muttered something derisive in Icelandic but I missed part of it due to the others erupting into conversation. They turned to one another, huddling in to speak in hushed, hurried tones. Even from halfway across the room I could hear them, no matter how quiet they tried to be. The fact that they even tried to be quiet spoke of their disbelief in my power. Their eyes darted among one another, to me, and back again as they spoke. As many argued for me as against me. I was not sure whether or not I should take comfort in that. What I didn’t like was how four of them were arguing to send kennaris of their own.

  I took another step closer to the desk, bringing their conversation to a screeching halt. “This is not about your reservations in regards to me. This is about a young woman who was bitten in against her will by a wayward pup who was likely trying to avoid an arranged marriage.” I paused and nodded toward two of the council members. “Seeing as Raul is your son”—I paused and nodded toward another pair—“and he’s engaged to your daughter, a kennari sent from either party would not be impartial. This woman deserves the right to be brought through the verða by someone without an agenda. It is the law.”

  The conversation started back up, but I was encouraged by the nods I received from two of the members who had been arguing to send their own.

  “You sure you don’t have an agenda of your own?” Morene spoke above the others.

  “Careful, Morene. You sound jealous. You dishonor yourself as a Viking woman and your pack if that is the case,” I warned.

  Her eyes filled with so much hate it looked as though it would spill over. In a way it did. Power rolled off her in a biting wave that raised the temperature in the room. Using my own power, I whipped it away as easily as a summer breeze. She glared harder at me, but it lacked weight this time. Hateful though she was, she knew she couldn’t best me and she wouldn’t try. I heard the others reach their decision before they announced it.

  They fell silent. This time, the woman sitting between Isak and a broad man with a scar across half his face leaned forward. She was a petite thing with long, wavy blond hair. But her demeanor did not fool me. I knew Gyda was more Viking shield maiden than fragile stereotype.

  “The majority has ruled. You shall serve as this woman’s kennari. Please approach her immediately to begin your duties. It is her choice whether or not she attends Raul’s trial the day after the next full moon, but we hope you will encourage her to do so,” Gyda said.

  I nodded my head to them as a whole. A deeper bow was customary, but I did not owe allegiance to any of them, and I wasn’t about to honor them by pretending I did. “I thank you for your wise ruling.”

  With that, I turned to go. The young man standing between me and the door skittered to the side. Whether it was something he felt in my power, or something he saw in my face, I’m not sure. But he cowered in the corner as if I had whipped him within an inch of his life. Helheimr, I half expected him to lose control of his bladder by the look of terror on his face. Then again, maybe it was not my power or my demeanor. Maybe the stories about me truly had grown that bad. I did not care about that or about the Council that once again erupted into conversation the moment my back was turned. All that mattered was getting to that woman and helping her before the verða took hold.

  Chapter Five

  Sonya

  Only after I had ransacked my apartment for the few belongings I couldn’t live without, was I finally able to make the fangs go away. The key seemed to be relaxing, something I was not very good at. All those years studying control in glíma—the Scandinavian martial art my dad insisted I learn—were what finally helped me do it. For the first time, I wished I had paid more attention to those lessons. Fighting just wasn’t my thing. The lack of desire to hurt anyone had always held me back. Or maybe that’s because my dad had wanted it to be my thing so badly. My big rebellious idea had been medicine. Go big or go home was my motto, even in rebellion.

  Once I choked down the noxious mixture of anger and fear and got my heart to return to a normal rhythm, the fangs simply retracted. They were still there, longer than normal canines—much like Raul’s had looked. Nothing too out of the ordinary unless you looked hard. And I couldn’t help but look hard. The seemingly ever-present tears in my eyes made me hope I was seeing things. I had no idea what any of this meant, what was happening to me, but I knew I had to find out. And after I did, I was going to kill that crazy son of a bitch, monster or no monster.

  A friend of mine at the hospital had tested me for drugs and gave me a tetanus shot. Nothing had shown up in my system. The only other thing that made sense was hallucinations caused by rabies. But rabies would have taken longer to set in and damage the brain enough to cause hallucinations. Which came right back around to nothing making sense. Whatever was going on, I had to get it cleared up before fall semester. The fierce competition in the medical profession meant I couldn’t afford to miss any time at all. If I did, someone else would get the internship I had been working so hard for. Over my dead body.

  Well, I hoped not.

  Everything I needed fit inside two duffel bags: a few changes of clothes, my favorite shoes, and my copy of Gray’s Anatomy. Taking one last look around at my thrift store furniture, I sighed at the sad state of my apartment. In the four years since I had left Washington and landed here, I hadn’t accumulated much beyond the necessities. It was hard to accumulate anything while putting yourself through med school. There was no dog, cat, or even a goldfish to worry about. Nikki, the closest thing I had to a friend, would only notice my absence because she’d have to work extra shifts. After a month she’d probably forget my name.

  The few friends I had in school wouldn’t know I was gone until the new semester started. And I didn’t plan to be gone that long. It was bad enough that they would be reading up and taking extra classes all summer while I was off trying to make sense of something crazy.

  The finality of the deadbolt clicking into place as I turned my key brought an unexpected rush of excitement. No matter what Raul was, I looked forward to meeting up with him and grinding his balls into the dirt for what he had done. That, and it didn’t hurt that I quit my shit job, was leaving a crappy apartment behind, and was getting out of this sleepy town for a while. One duffel bag over my shoulder, the other in hand, I made my way to where my Jeep was parked on the street.

  I tossed my jacket and one duffel bag in the backseat, and the other in the passenger. Standing at the door, I paused, wondering if I should wait for the blond stranger who had helped save me in the alley. Worry for him nagged at me. Raul was clearly dangerous. Who knew what he might try to do to the guy. But he had been a big guy, clearly capable of handling himself. Still, the thought of Raul trying to hurt him bothered me, a lot. On the other hand, it had seemed like he knew Raul. If he knew him, he might know what the bastard had done to me, might know a way to fix it. Or he might be just like him, which meant he could be dangerous too. Best to face the danger I knew, rather than the one I didn’t. If Raul had wanted to kill me, he clearly would have. No, he wanted something else.

  Maybe I would get to see the blond stranger again. I hoped so.

  Thunder boomed overhead, followed by a crack of lightning a little too close for comfort. Forcing thoughts about what all that meant down somewhere deep, I climbed in, started up the Jeep and grabbed an apple from the duffel bag full of food. Tight red skin gave way to juicy crispness that helped distract me as I turned my radio to a satellite station of hard blues. With Ram Jam screaming about Black B
etty from my speakers, I laid rubber down on the asphalt of Twin Falls, Idaho, for what might be the last time.

  …

  Aside from a few rest stops and fast-food breaks, I drove nonstop for over six hours until I reached Missoula. The fact that I could stay alert that long shocked the hell out of me. Being behind the wheel for over an hour had always made me sleepy. Dad once told me it was because any time I wouldn’t stop crying, Mom took me for a ride in the car. It put me right to sleep, every time. The long drive made me think about them, something I hated doing. It hurt too much. He’d been dead and gone for years, and she might as well be.

  Despite being a sprawling city with over twenty thousand more people than Twin Falls, the scents of vegetation and water hung here and there on the air, making it almost tolerable. Cities really weren’t my thing, having grown up in Washington and all, and this one was too big for my liking. The four-story brick building of the Staybridge Suites thrust up into the night sky like a glowing, impenetrable fortress. All right, that was probably my nerves getting the better of me. In all fairness, most of the hotels all around it were as tall, though not nearly as imposing because they didn’t hold Raul within their walls.

  I parked beside an SUV, shut off the headlights and ignition, and took a few deep breaths. It was going to take every ounce of control I had not to pound the bastard’s face in the moment he showed it. Even if he was a monster, I was determined to get a few good hits in before he overcame me. I had to keep my head enough to find out if he had known my dad, if he was using that to get to me. If I met him in the lobby, then I really wanted to be able to control the temper that now raged through me like a blaze well on its way to an inferno.

  Several slow, deep breaths later, my teeth stopped aching and the four fangs pulled back up into my gums. For now, that would have to do. The feel of them didn’t bring tears to my eyes or nearly throw me into a panic attack anymore. I had mastered enough of my fear during the long drive that I didn’t lose it every time the damn things sprung, which was all too often. Not one to carry a purse, I grabbed my jacket, the two duffel bags that held everything I cared about, and started through the dark parking lot for the entrance.