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Chapter 20
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The Great Wolf Chapter 21
Everett’s white knuckles gripped the steering wheel. His lips formed a thin line, his eyes focused straight ahead. They’d been riding in silence for fifteen minutes. He hadn’t said a word since Amerie told him the truth about Asteri, Celena, Apollo, and the Embertaurs. Not even the radio was on. Amerie sat in the passenger seat twirling her thumbs and chewing on her cheek. She stole secret glances at him as he drove. Five minutes from Amerie’s house, Everett took a sharp right turn onto a narrow dirt road. Dirt crunched as he pulled over into a space looking over the lake and climbed out of his car. His navy blue blazer remained in the seat. He stopped near the edge of the cliff and laced his fingers behind his head, tilting his chin up to gaze at the night sky. Amerie waited a moment before getting out of the car and slowly walking over to him. She stood their in silent support while she waited eagerly for him to speak. Everett sighed and dropped his hands to his side. He turned to
The Great Wolf Chapter 22
Amerie sat huddled in a blanket on the couch as she shuddered uncontrollably. Everett was pacing in her living room, occasionally glancing into the backyard. Milo sat by the back door on high alert and growled at the slightest movement outside. He’d been frantic and uneasy when Amerie got home. They knew who she was. They knew where she lived. She wasn’t safe. Everett had refused to leave her home alone. He’d consoled her and listened carefully as Amerie explained what the blood and crow meant. Without hesitation, he had offered for her and Milo to stay with him for the time being. Amerie had agreed but asked to wait for Apollo and Mae before they left. Everett helped her pack a couple bags and they now sat in the trunk of her car along with Milo’s food and bed. Milo growled lowly and then stopped and wagged his tail. A tap on the glass of the back door made Amerie jump. “I think it’s Mae,” Everett informed her. Amerie craned her neck and saw Mae standing with a longbow on her back
The Great Wolf Chapter 23
“Tuitio!” the sisters shouted in unison. Purple magic burst from their palms and shimmered directly in front of Apollo, blocking the creature from advancing. A shield. Amerie stared in awe. The thing let out a low, sinister laugh. A tingle ran down Amerie’s spine in response. Wrong. Other. Foul. EVIL. “Young witches. Interesting.” The thing grinned and tilted his head to the side as he beheld the sisters. He inhaled deeply and hummed in delight. “It has been a long while since I have tasted the power of a witch.” Amerie’s hands warmed as it eyed the sisters and took a step closer. Apollo let out a warning growl. The creature smiled and raised his hands in defense. Its eyes flicked back at the sisters and he made to take another step. A knife landed at his feet. “Leave.” Mae snarled and drew another dagger, flipping it. “I see we are unwelcome. Very well. We shall leave you for now.” The thing bowed slightly and turned to the trees with its hands behind its back. It walked past
The Great Wolf Chapter 24
Amerie flopped onto the snowy ground with a huff. Her muscles were sore from the long hour of training in the dark, but her power was still reeling to come out. It was endless. Simmering embers covered the moonlit ground of the clearing in orange specks. A small fire remained lit just inches from her right hand, the melted snow around it starting to turn to ice as the flames receded. Her aim and concentration had been true throughout the training, and the others bore small singe marks to prove it.Celena had not held back in the training when Amerie visited her in the pool. While the expanse of her powers were still unknown, other abilities Amerie had yet to uncover had surfaced during the training. In this world she had only been asleep in the water for an hour. In Amerie’s reality, she had spent the majority of two days training with Celena without breaks. She needed to continue practicing to allow the powers to bloom into their full potential, but in the time she spent with the god
The Great Wolf Chapter 25
Amerie opened her heavy eyes just as they pulled up to the mansion. Only a couple lights were on inside. She stretched as Kierian parked the car at the base of the grand staircase that led to the double front doors. A young man with short brown hair ran out to open the passenger side doors for them. He bowed to Apollo before walking around to open the doors for Mae and Kierian. The blonde woman from the other day greeted them at the door. A green sweater dress hugged her curves. She tapped the toe of her white heeled boot as she watched Apollo climb the stairs then threw her arms around him with a squeal. He frowned and shrugged her off, leaving her pouting. Mae glared at the woman while Kierian observed with a blank expression. Apollo took a step inside. “Mary Jo?” he called out. An older woman slightly above average height appeared from the hallway to the left, a stack of white towels in her hand. Her gray blue eyes sparkled with kindness. “Yes, Alpha?”“We have a few guests toni
The Great Wolf Chapter 26
Amerie struggled to stay awake at her desk. It was barely eleven and she was already on her third cup of coffee. A wide yawn brought tears to her stinging eyes, blurring her computer screen. She had selected one of the field assignments Allen had offered her and was in the process of filling out the necessary forms in order to start field research the next day. A knock at her open door had her biting back a groan as she looked up. Tyler stood there with a stack of papers in his hands. She nodded for him to enter. His eyes darted around the office hallway as he stepped in and shut the door behind him. He slowly lowered himself into the green armchair in front of her desk as he took a deep breath. She sat up straight and flipped her hair behind her shoulders. “What’s up, Tyler?” The slight rasp in her voice gave away her exhaustion, though she knew her bloodshot eyes probably didn’t hide that fact either. He fidgeted and looked behind him before turning back to her and speaking lowly
The Great Wolf Chapter 27
Laney stopped in front of a large dark wooden door and knocked. The panels of the door showcased intricate carvings that resembled vines and lupine flowers. “Come in,” Apollo’s deep voice called from behind the door. Amerie swallowed as Laney turned the knob and pushed open the door. A large desk with a black top was in the center, Apollo sitting behind it with his feet propped on the desk and his chin resting in his fingers. His brows were furrowed as he glared at the map laid flat on the desk top. Circles, arrows, and crosses all covered the map. Mae stood to the left, leaning against a grand bookshelf with her arms crossed. Kierian lounged in a brown leather chair next to her facing Apollo. Blaze sat with her legs crossed in a matching brown leather chair on the right with Brynn standing next to her on her phone. They all looked up as Laney and Amerie entered and closed the door behind them. Surprise filled Apollo’s eyes when he saw Laney. He straightened and addressed her after
The Great Wolf Chapter 28
“Thanks for helping me,” Amerie said quietly to the short werewolf beside her. “Of course. Glad to be out of the office working on something that actually matters.”“Bobcats matter,” Amerie countered. Laney gave her a small grin. “Sure. If the Embertaurs don’t wipe us all out first.”“Right.” Amerie fell silent and eyed the brown and orange leaves on the ground around them. Twigs and dead leaves beneath the remaining snow crunched under their boots. The few straggling birds sang their welcome, surely about to join others down south within the coming days as the cold and snow approached. Laney sighed. “I wonder how Matt is doing. There’s no word on when he’s returning to work. Bobcats are cute and all and I’m happy to help while he’s out, but I’d like to get back to monitoring the elk. It’s been a busy hunting season and I need to start to get an idea of how many cows are going to drop calves now that the rut is nearly over.” She pushed a low hanging branch out of her way and held i
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The Great Wolf Chapter 55
She knew those eyes. Had gazed into them for months, wondering why she did not want for more with their owner. Had watched the light leave them as his blood soaked her hands. A sob escaped her as her gaze fell on the bright white scar sliced across the beast’s dark abdomen. The dragon rumbled and dipped its enormous head to her in greeting. Dark wings scraped the ceiling of the cave sending small pebbles tumbling down and splashing in the shallow water. The beast was nearly too large for the outcropping it had tucked itself into, but it made no effort to move despite being free of chains. A spiked tail flicked in anticipation. “This is Vinterion. He was meant to be Everett’s dragon.” The gentle sympathy on Asmodeus’s voice did nothing to dull the pain of the loss. “The scar?” she whispered, her eyes tracing the thin line that perfectly mirrored the killing blow. “As rider and dragon, they were connected. The only thing that saved Vinterion’s life was that they had not yet met, so
The Great Wolf Chapter 54
Through the darkness she fell, and fell, and fell. She could feel him nearby but saw nothing beyond the spinning shadows and stars as they enveloped her. Amerie squeezed her eyes shut, her stomach churning from the endless tumbling. She wanted to cry out for him, but when she opened her mouth, nothing came out. Just when she was sure she was moments from breaking into pieces against the ground, two strong but delicate hands caressed her face, a hand on each cheek. The nausea subsided, replaced by a sense of unease and alertness. Muffled whispers echoed around her. She opened her eyes and bit back a scream. It was not Asmodeus’s face she saw, but a faceless queen with a crown that looked as if it had been plucked from the night sky. Golden brown waves framed the Queen’s pale, blank face. Orange and gold light danced along the waves of the Queen’s hair making her glow. Heatless flames encircled them, blocking out the swirling darkness. The flames whispered to Amerie, called to her. “P
The Great Wolf Chapter 53
She didn’t want to be at the pack house. She didn’t want to listen to Mae screaming at Charlotte to get over her obsession with Apollo. She didn’t want to listen to Theo begging Laney not to fight again. She didn’t want to see Kierian’s eyes boring holes in Apollo’s head for not letting him go after Blaze. She didn’t want to see Brynn pacing, scheming for a way to sneak over to the camp.But most of all, Amerie didn’t want to hear the cries of those who had lost a friend or family member on that battlefield. No. She wanted to tear through the camp, burning every horrible creature alive. She wanted to pluck the captives from the grip of death and terror and lead them unharmed from the ashes and smoke and deliver them back to their homes. She wanted to see the flames dance in the depths of Asmodeus’s eyes. Apollo spoke to those gathered, ensuring them that their loved ones had not died in vain. His voice was soothing and confident as he told them more about the Ancients and the truth
The Great Wolf Chapter 52
Asmodeus had been there. He’d said it had all been for her. Then Everett died. Blaze disappeared. Pack members were killed.How could this be for her? Anger filled her entire being. She watched the blurred trees as Asteri sprinted through the forest, a white wolf matching pace with her. Apollo.Had the Ancients removed Everett as a way of forcing her closer to Apollo? They knew she would be stronger when she was with her counterpart. Did Everett really die as a part of their games?She didn’t want to sulk in the recesses of her mind anymore. She wanted to see them burn. Every last one of them. Asmodeus had been part of this latest scheme. He’d burn too, and his shadows would turn to ash in the wind. The new part of her was silent, observing and waiting. It felt like a lost piece of her true self, but a veil still separated her consciousness from it and shrouded it in mystery. She could feel the power and strength emanating from behind that veil. A voice older than the skies whispere
The Great Wolf Chapter 51
Someone was yelling, but they were far away and their voice was faint. Amerie ignored them. It didn’t matter. Everett was dead. Something fell in front of her, warm and wet. Everett was dead. Her body was hot. That same person yelled again. She couldn’t save him. “Amerie!” Whoever shouted for her was still so far away. She couldn’t open her mouth to call out to them. All she tasted was ash. Her throat was so dry and sore. A strange hiss sounded from nearby. It didn’t matter. She was the Great Other, but even that didn’t matter. Her powers didn’t matter. She couldn’t save him. Everett was dead. She could feel Asteri pushing her to move but her legs wouldn’t. Something soaked through the bottom half of her pant legs where she knelt on the ground. All she could see was Everett’s blank face, eyes unseeing. Asteri pushed again. Amerie didn’t fight. She fell deep into her mind, wanting to wake up from this strange nightmare. Four black, bloodied paws hit the mud just as a serpe
The Great Wolf Chapter 50
Amerie was covered in blood and she couldn’t tell how much of it was hers. Screams, yelps, hisses, clicks, snapping bones, and the tearing of flesh rang out across the clearing. It was a nightmare. She’d lost sight of her friends shortly after the start of the massacre but didn’t have the luxury of pausing to search for them. She sprinted for a gray wolf that was struggling against two winged beasts. One with a serpent’s head struck the wolf’s flank, eliciting a high pitched yelp from the canine. Amerie shot arrows of flame at the beast, nailing it in all four eyes and effectively blinding it. The other beast with a head similar to a frog growled at Amerie and turned toward her. The wolf took lunged for the beast’s neck but missed as the beast spun, knocking the wolf on its side. Amerie let a ball of flame fly, but she was a second too late. The beast splayed its paws to reveal razor like claws nearly four inches long, bringing them down on the wolf’s chest and splitting it open. Th
The Great Wolf Chapter 49
Asteri burst through the trees like a shadow of fur in the sun, panting hard as she threw herself at the pack house ahead. She shifted when she hit the front steps and gasped to catch her breath. Just as she reached for the door, it was thrown open and she met Apollo’s wide golden eyes. “Beasts,” she managed to say between gulps of air, “coming this way.” Another gasp. “Ambush.”Apollo pursed his lips and gently grabbed her elbow to pull her inside, wrapping her exposed body in a gray blanket.He guided her to a bench in the hall and motioned for her to wait. Amerie attempted to concentrate on slowing her breaths but she knew the beasts were approaching. There had to be nearly a hundred of them closing in. She finally calmed her breaths enough to focus on listening for who was in the house. Blaze and Kierian were giggling in a room up the stairs. Everett talked on the phone about the town riots, likely to his deputy that she’d met at the nature center. Knives thudded against a wooden
The Great Wolf Chapter 48
The sun rose on a sparkling lake, painting the sky in hues of lavender and pink. Amerie sat perched on a boulder along the shore, watching as the forest shifted from nocturnal creatures to those that sang with the sun. Though spring was around the corner, the bite of the winter air remained and ice and snow still clung to the landscape. Amerie sighed, her breath forming a small white cloud in front of her before vanishing. Today was the day she was meant to face Asmodeus in the clearing. Today was the day the Ancients planned on her eliminating what she’d been led to believe was the biggest threat. Asmodeus had stood at the edge of the forest before the sun fell the day before, likely awaiting her answer to his offer. She had met his gaze and held it, letting tension and unanswered challenge hang in the air between them for a moment before turning away without a word. She’d walked back inside without a second look, not even turning when he had called out her name. She couldn’t. If h
The Great Wolf Chapter 47
Amerie chewed on the inside of her cheek as she sat opposite of Apollo, his words sinking in to her and everyone else. Mae stood leaning against one of the bookshelves to the left. Kierian sat in a chair to the right, leaning forward with his thumbs under his chin and fingers pressed together in front of his mouth. His eyebrows were drawn together as he considered everything that had been said. Brynn shifted uncomfortably on her feet beside the door. Her sister had not showed up this morning— likely working the store. Everett sat leaned back in the chair to Amerie’s left, lightly scratching the stubble along his jawline. “Eight people,” Everett murmured. He shook his head, not bothering to lift his gaze from the floor as he added, “They’re calling for a hunt. They want to see the Wolf Man strung up in the town square.”Amerie’s eyes flitted to Apollo. His face was hard and his golden eyes looked ready to burn through armies of Embertaurs and beasts. He was not bothered by the fact th
