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Chapter 31
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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
The Great Wolf Chapter 34
Amerie found herself standing in an endless pool of shallow, dark water. Steam rose from the water’s surface and a low, thick cloud cover prevented her from seeing anything around her. Distant screams and cries came from every direction. She tried to take a step, but her feet would not move. “Hello?” she called out. “Where am I?”Thirteen tall, looking figures appeared around her. They were all barely visible through the fog except for their burning red eyes. While they all appeared humanoid, none were entirely human. One had what looked like giant antlers protruding from its skull. Another seemed to have the body of a snake but a human torso and arms. Yet another had a figure similar to that of a centaur. Amerie strained to see more detail but the fog was too thick. The tallest figure, one with four eyes, tilted its head and reached a hand out in her direction. A ringing filled her ears as the air around her thinned. She put a hand on her throat and gasped. Her vision darkened, but j
The Great Wolf Chapter 35
Amerie felt like she was watching herself tumble in a downward spiral. Her hope for winning the war had been small to start, but it was dwindling even more with each passing day. She went through the motions of recounting her vision with Minera to the others as they sat around her in the small house deep in the forest. Her own words echoed and taunted her as she informed them of her exchange with the goddess and the leering figures that had eyed her from deep in the fog. Everett watched her movements with concern, but the others looked furious. Had they started to realize she was failing them?“We are nothing more than play things for the gods,” Apollo sneered. Brynn and Blaze appeared shocked. “Don’t say that! They will strike you down for such things,” Blaze hissed. “The gods cannot intervene more than permitted.”Mae bared her teeth and shouted back, “The Embertaurs are going to tear down this world of the gods don’t step in!” Everett walked over to stand behind Amerie. He gather
The Great Wolf Chapter 36
This pull didn’t come in waves like the one before. It was a constant tug, like a pair of strong hands were tightly gripped onto the other end of a taut rope propelling Amerie forward. Asteri’s paws barely hit the forest floor as she sprinted—no, flew through the forest. Kierian struggled to keep up with the pace she set and Apollo was beginning to tire. Still, the two pushed forward as Asteri let the pull take over her. A sharp turn around a large tree trunk had them diving into a different world. The forest was so silent that even the minute sounds of their paws on the grassy ground echoed before they were swallowed up. Asteri slowed, ears flicking in every direction in an attempt to hear the slightest sound. Not even a falling leaf or soft breeze reached her rounded velvet-tipped ears. ‘This isn’t right,’ Amerie warned the black wolf from deep in their shared mind. Asteri huffed quietly in response. Her powers thrummed and crouched like a predator ready to pounce in anticipation
The Great Wolf Chapter 37
A twig snapped under Amerie’s feet, the sound bouncing off the trees around her. The crow had not called again, but she had found a single black feather a little ways back. Asteri was on high alert in her mind and had lended Amerie her heightened hearing and vision as she continued to stalk deeper into the forest. Strange power charged the chilled air around her. Whispered warnings from things not fully there wove together until they were indistinguishable. Still, she saw nothing but trees in the dark. The tug of power snapped like a broken rope, the feeling accompanied by a caw that sounded more like a scream. Asteri howled in her mind then vanished. Amerie panicked, calling out for her wolf counterpart, but her screams echoed. “Asteri!” she called out loud. A hissing was the only response—definitely not Asteri. Despite the dread she felt, solid determination pushed her forward. As she brushed a clump of low hanging pine branches to the side, a small stream became visible. A long,
The Great Wolf Chapter 38
Panting, Amerie burst through the trees to find Apollo and Mae pacing where she had left them. Everett had also joined them and was perched on a large rock. Apollo and Everett noticed her in the same heartbeat and both rushed to her. Apollo stopped short and watched as Everett scooped her up in his arms. Mae gave her a curt nod of greeting and watched the forest behind Amerie to be sure she hadn’t been followed. Everett’s kiss was not one of hesitation. He kissed her with relief and need. Amerie’s cheeks reddened as she broke away after a moment, acutely aware of their small audience. Apollo had turned his back to them, but Mae stood there with a smirk on her face. As much as she wished to remain in his arms until the pieces of her fell back into place, Amerie broke free from Everett’s grasp. She looked toward Apollo and asked, “Is Tyler—““Doc called. He’s working on him.” Apollo interrupted. “He lost a lot of blood, but right now the doc is hopeful.”Hopeful. Not certain. “I need
The Great Wolf Chapter 39
Amerie landed with a powerful boom in the middle of a cold nothingness. Flames no longer wrapped around her, but a crown of gold and blue still sat atop her head and embers still danced in her warm brown hair. Asteri stalked out of the nothingness to stand beside her— separate but one, as they had been in Amerie’s dreams mere months ago. The wolf’s night black fur nearly melted her figure into the darkness. Asteri shook her fur, alighting golden embers and silver sparks of power so she shone alongside her human counterpart. Her piercing blue eyes shone bright with strength and determination. Cold silence hung in the nothing. Amerie could sense the Embertaur trying to fight against her, trying to block her into a small section of its mind and protect the other thoughts and memories. She could sense an invisible wall around her and Asteri. She slowly lifted a hand and pressed it against the barrier. “You will show me what you are hiding,” she whispered, venom dripping from her words,
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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
