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Chapter 25
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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
The Great Wolf Chapter 29
“Get back!” Kierian shouted at Amerie as he tore off his shirt. He shifted quickly, a smaller, reddish wolf appearing next to him. Laney. Amerie slowly took steps backward as she manifested flames in both hands. Mae drew a dagger and held two smaller throwing blades in her other hand. Brynn took a defensive stance with her palms pointed at the multiple eyes. An Embertaur as big as Kierian appeared first, directly in front of them. It snarled, its eyes focused solely on Amerie. Four more Embertaurs appeared, flanking the first. More yellow eyes were still in the trees. The first Embertaur licked its lips and met Amerie’s eyes. It inclined its head and spoke with a voice that sent chills down her spine. “We’ve waited for you, Great One. Our Master requests your presence. Come with us.”“She’s not going anywhere with you,” Mae spat. She flipped her blade and pointed it directly at the Embertaur. “Leave.”A throaty noise that only barely resembled a chuckle left the Embertaur’s mouth. I
The Great Wolf Chapter 30
Apollo burst through the doors of the mansion. “What the hell happened?” he growled in a voice not completely human. His golden eyes were dark, his fingers curled at his side as if claws would sprout from the fingertips at any moment. Charlotte’s golden head peaked out from behind his large frame. Kierian panted heavily as he held Amerie in his arms, a piece of his torn shirt tied tightly around her bleeding arm. Her hands were pressed firmly against her side where the Embertaur had sliced her. Behind them, Mae held an unconscious Laney. A stream of blood ran down Mae’s arm and to the ground from Laney’s unnaturally angled leg. Brynn’s blue eyes were wide and fiery, her eyebrows furrowed together as she scanned the tree line on either side of the mansion. Amerie’s eyes fluttered as she fought to stay conscious. She had somehow managed to stay awake on the run to the house but every ounce of her energy had been drained away. Her head began to spin. “Everett,” her voice cracked weakly
The Great Wolf Chapter 31
When Amerie was finally able to close her eyes with the help of a small sleeping pill from the nurse, she found herself in a large clearing surrounded by trees that seemed to pierce the sky. She whipped her head around at the snap of a twig and was met with the Master’s face. He stood just a couple feet from her with his head tilted to the side, staring at her with his deep blue eyes. He let out a low, evil laugh that sent chills down her spine. Fangs flashed as he smiled at her. “Sweet Amerie,” he hissed at her in a sing song tone. A hand with black nails reached up and stroked through his hair as he took a step closer to her. She tensed as he halted just a step away from her and closed his eyes then inhaled deeply. “Delicious.” He opened his eyes again and let his eyes trace over her face. “Why did you not come to me when I sent for you?”He was so close. She tried to take a step back but couldn’t move. It’s just a dream, she reminded herself. He couldn’t harm her. Just a dream. “W
The Great Wolf Chapter 32
When she opened her eyes, Amerie was deep in the forest. A moonless night sky was barely visible through the branches above her. The trees were blanketed in the type of darkness that drank up every color and sound. Not even the wind dared blow. “Show yourself, Celena,” Amerie called out. No response. Amerie let out a sigh and began walking. She had no idea where she was supposed to go, but she walked with her hands stuffed in her pockets. The forest was still eerily silent. A small silvery light appeared ahead. Amerie approached it with caution and realized it was a floating orb. When she got close enough to reach out a finger to it, it zipped a few feet away. The light flickered as if beckoning her forward. She hesitated for a moment before taking a step closer. It again floated further away, beckoning her further. Darkness swallowed her whole until the silver orb’s light barely penetrated the dark less than a foot in front of it. The hair on Amerie’s arms stood up as she felt ey
The Great Wolf Chapter 33
Two months passed with no sign of the Master or Embertaurs. Amerie was more confused and conflicted than before after Minera gave her the key. The sinister cube whispered to her, her internal flames curling towards it as embers cracked in her ears. The key made her want to scream, explode, and silence the world around her. Apollo had found her sitting outside the cave staring at the key in her palm. She’d still been naked and dripping wet and didn’t even blink until he snatched the key from her. He felt a pull from it as well, but nowhere near the intensity that Amerie did. It had led him to her and made him want to shift and bend the creatures of the forest to his will beyond reason, but he did not fall into a trance. The cursed object favored Amerie and her power. They knew they had to hide it before the Master discovered it had been found once more. Amerie and Apollo decided to hide the key in the cellar of the pack house behind wards and protections cast by Brynn and Blaze. The w
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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
