Lone Wolf Rising

by Jami Brumfield

  “What is it, Rebecca?” He asked as he bumped into her.

  She gave no answer, just surveyed the horizon on all sides to see if she could locate the stranger. Whoever it was made her skin crawl to a level that she had never felt before. Her wolf began to pace in her mind, ever alert.

  “Rebecca?” Lucky wore a worried face.

  She did not want to be rude but she put up a hand to silence him. Her ears were perked; she sniffed the air, nothing. But that had no affect on the hair rising on her neck and the warning tingles on her skin. Someone was watching her and she was getting tired of their cowardice.

  “Sis?” It was Savannah’s voice that pulled Rebecca out of her search. But seeing her was not as much of a surprise as seeing Gabriel sauntering towards them only a few steps behind her sister. Rebecca’s first thought was that it was the rogue-wolf that was spying on her. But while his emerald green eyes were intense and held many secrets, the eyes that were watching her from a distance were much colder and felt more evil than his creepy stares.

  Savannah looked so genuinely concerned it made Rebecca’s heart ache with the desire to tell her everything. But she knew the consequences would be dire if she did so she held her tongue and smiled. It was something Rebecca was really becoming quite good at.

  "Are you okay?" Savvy asked, her brows raised and lips pursed with concern.

  "Sure, why wouldn't I be?” Rebecca asked. “I was just worried when I couldn’t find you for lunch.” It wasn’t a complete lie.

  "You just looked, never mind. This is …” Savvy didn’t get to finish her sentence before Rebecca interrupted her.

  "What are you doing here, Gabriel?" She crossed her arms over her chest.

  "I see you two do know each other. He was..." Savannah started talking only to be interrupted again, this time by Gabriel.

  "I was looking for you when I got the lovely pleasure of meeting your sister and brother." Gabriel stated simply. "She offered to help me find you."

  "I told you that I would contact you. So, I ask again, what’re you doing here?" Rebecca did not like him around her family, not until she trusted him. There was obviously a reason why he was a rogue wolf and not a member of the pack. A reason she had not discovered up to this point and until she did there was no reason to trust him.

  "I didn’t know that my presence would be unwelcome." He glanced over at Lucky. "Perhaps that’s because you don't want the others to know you have a guard dog."

  "Guard dog?" Savannah's forehead creased in confusion.

  "Lucky is my boyfriend." Rebecca said the words too fast.

  Gabriel chuckled. "Really? How convenient."

  "What’s that supposed to mean?" Lucky took a step forward but Rebecca motioned for him to stay beside her. She needed to show strength.

  "I’m sorry, just the fact that you met a few days ago and today you’re dating." He flicked something off his dark green t shirt which accented his emerald green eyes perfectly. "Seems a little suspect, don't you think?"

  "A few days ago?" Savannah continued to get confused and this time the expression she sent Rebecca was one of hurt, she felt she was lied too; Rebecca could see it written all over her face. Rebecca could tell Savvy wanted to ask more but Gabriel continued on with his deductive reasoning and Becca’s heart thumped a little faster at the danger zone they were quickly entering.

  "That morsel of information coupled with the fact that I have known Lucky for most of my life, and he has never settled down or made any kind of commitment to another woman, even his mother, makes me question the validity of your relationship." Gabriel somehow maneuvered himself between Savvy and Rebecca as he tilted his head in a look that made Becca think he was judging her.

  The heat that rose between them was instant and made her forget everyone else. Something about Gabriel intrigued Rebecca like no other; not even Lucky. Her wolf wanted to control him, her heart wanted to know him, and her mind wanted to trust him. But none of that would happen anytime soon. There was too much happening, too many things that needed to be worked out before other matters could be addressed. He was going to have to take a back seat on this ride for a while until she figured things out.

  "What can I say, I’m a changed man." Lucky stepped in the tight space between Gabriel and Rebecca. He pulled her close and before she knew what was happening his lips crushed hers. Rebecca’s senses pressed the overload switch in her mind as sensations shot through her body at super speed. One thing was for certain, Lucky knew how to kiss. It was earth shattering. Rebecca was compelled to reciprocate as her hands wrapped around his neck and her body pressed against his.

  The kiss was abruptly ended when Gabriel spun Rebecca around. Her body slammed against his rock hard chest. Without a word he crushed his lips on hers and adrenaline shot through her once more, only this was different; her wolf was increasing the intensity. It was like a roller coaster ride of emotions as her body reacted to his kiss. Her wolf assumed the control. All sense escaped her mind when his tongue rolled over her lips and she mentally cringed as a sigh escaped her lips when he pushed through the barrier those lips made with ease. The kiss was almost violent as he alternated between licks and tiny nips on her lips. One even broke the skin. When that happened it was all over.

  As quickly as the kiss started it ended. He pushed Rebecca back and stared at her as though she had bit him. But it was he that bit her. She pressed her finger to her lightly bruised lip which was healing fast but the blood didn’t disappear. She could taste the coppery liquid on her tongue. There was no passion in the look Gabriel gave her, only discomfort and shock. The look knocked her ego down as she quickly rubbed her lips to remove all traces of him from her. His reaction intrigued the wolf and she realized the wolf was enjoying the chase; always the predator. Damn her!

  "As you can see, a kiss can be faked." His tone was sharp and pointed like a serrated knife blade sawing into her confidence. His razor sharp tongue had knocked her down a few notches just as Lucky's fist abruptly knocked Gabriel down on his rear.

  "Don't you ever touch my girl again!" The fierce protection that sang from his eyes and tense body reminded Rebecca of a coiled snake ready to strike again if the threat remained.

  Gabriel spit blood from the cut on his lips. "I was simply trying to prove a point." His green eyes found her again. "You need us, Rebecca. Whether you like it or not, you do. I could’ve done much more than kiss you in those few moments." He glanced over at Savannah and Hunter. They were both watching in shock at the scene playing out in front of them. "If that doesn’t convince you, think of your family."

  Chapter Thirteen

  ~"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage."

  ~Lao Tzu

  Rebecca

  Rebecca had no idea her nails were cutting into the palm of her hand until Savannah gasped and screamed at the blood that was dripping from her sister’s fingers. All Rebecca could think was ‘how dare he threaten her family! Did he think he was getting into her good graces by fueling her anger?’ This was one time she had no intention of dialing back the anger her wolf showed. Regardless of her attraction to the man, the wolf would always have loyalty to her family.

  "Becks, are you okay?" Savannah ran to help Rebecca but Lucky was closer and quicker. He ripped the sleeve of his t-shirt off and wrapped Becca’s hand with lightning speed. "Let me get you to the nurse."

  He tossed a look over his shoulder at Gabriel as he led her towards the school. “Clean up the mess, Gabe.” He growled.

  "I’ll take care of it." Gabriel shouted back.

  "Take care of what?" Rebecca asked as her boiling blood started to simmer in Lucky's arms. The wolf wanted to go back and rip Gabriel’s head off for threatening her family. It was a good thing that Rebecca was learning to be a decent filter.

  ‘You’re a fool to let him get away with that.’ The wolf snarled in her mind.

  Rebecca rubbed her forehead with her uninjured hand as the beginnin
g of a headache started. ‘It’s my choice. I’ll deal with him my own way. Now, let me be for a while. You’re giving me a headache.’ She decided to focus on the hand wound to take her mind off the wolf growling in her head. Werewolves feel pain, but in that moment of anger she felt nothing. Now that she was focusing on centering herself a sharp pain began to bloom in her hand. It was amazing how powerful the mind could be.

  "Your blood. A supernatural being's blood is powerful and often used in blood magic. You probably had to sign your Authority documents in blood." Lucky answered her earlier question. It was another distraction which she was thankful for. At least for the moment her wolf was quiet, but she knew the alpha was biding her time. A piece of her felt sorry for Gabriel.

  Rebecca shivered as she remembered doing just that; signing the document in blood. He was right, again. At the time she thought it was like a simple blood pact; like the one she made with her siblings after their parents' deaths. She never imagined it was anything more than what kids sometimes do to show their loyalty. And with this incident, another piece of the gigantic jigsaw puzzle that was now her life fell into place. Deductive reasoning made her ask. "So blood brokers sell supernatural blood?"

  He shook his head. "In a way. They mostly sell fairy blood, sometimes in a pinch another supernatural being can be used, but the effects aren’t the same as one gets from Fae blood. The brokers used to sell almost exclusively to supernaturals because they feared the wrath of the Authority. But lately the brokers have been branching out into the human population.” He maneuvered her through the crowd of students and into the side door of the school. “Right now we need to get you cleaned up. There are too many eyes on us." The warning was clear in his voice; and in his eyes as they darkened.

  "You know, I’m already healing." She looked down at her hand, still amazed at how fast the wound sealed itself back up. It was shocking how a cut healed faster than bruises. "I’m not even bleeding anymore. She ran a tongue over her lip and confirmed that bite was healed too. I just need to wash the blood off." She turned her head towards him. “Why is that?”

  "Being a werewolf has its perks." He grinned wide enough to show off his dimple as he led her towards the restroom. The halls were fairly empty, only a few students took this time to study before their afternoon classes.

  “No, I mean, why do cuts heal faster than bruises?” Rebecca wondered.

  “Because, for the most part, bruises aren’t life threatening. Most supernatural healing powers focus on injuries that can take the life first and eventually go to work on the less dangerous injuries later.” He took the blood soaked cloth from her hand and slipped it into his jeans pocket; then inspected the hand.

  "Don't you heal just as fast?" She asked, curious about his special abilities.

  "Nephilim? Sure, we all have some healing power, extra strength, extreme speed and agility, as well as a specialized gift. Mine is considered more unique than most."

  "How so?" Rebecca found the more time she spent with this angel half-breed the more interested she was in who he was under the façade he wore.

  "My special power is more mental than physical." His tone indicated a change of subject was coming up fast. "Be careful Rebecca, asking someone about their special power in this world can lead to trouble. Always allow them to share first and avoid asking."

  "Okay, sorry." She put her hands up in mock surrender. Her curiosity made her want to push the subject but instinct told her he wasn't ready to talk about it.

  His response reinforced the fact that her instinct was correct, especially when he changed the subject. "There’s one more thing you need to know about your blood."

  His deflection tactic would work for the moment. She would find a reason later to approach the subject again. Sooner or later he would open up and tell her, she hoped.

  ‘You’re a fool if you believe he will share his secrets. He is a man, after all.’ Her wolf added its two cents to the matter. Rebecca chose to ignore her.

  “Oh? What else do I need to know about my blood?” Rebecca asked Lucky slightly louder than she intended as she unconsciously tried to speak over the voice in her head. The consequences were confused and irritated glares from a couple students studying close by.

  He pulled her closer to him, into a space between the wall and lockers, and whispered. "It’s important to know because your family is made up of powerful witches."

  It was hard to ignore the close proximity of his lips to her neck. His breath was warm and tickled her ear. She pushed the thoughts out of her mind. There were more important things to worry about at the moment. "Okay, suspense isn’t entertaining in this situation." Her voice held a note of warning that she was unfamiliar with. She could feel her wolf getting impatient. Lucky caught it.

  "Blood magic. A supernatural's blood can be used to create magical spells of all sorts, especially a witch’s. That’s why Gabriel knew what to do when we left. Everyone knows about your family and how powerful your family blood is. It makes you a target and was probably why Tomas agreed to make you." He kept her close as they left their cubby hole and started heading towards the restrooms.

  "Ah, yes, everyone knows this little fact except me, Savvy, and Hunter. We were never told of our family history or heritage.” It was then that a thought occurred to Rebecca. “With so much at stake do you really think you can trust Gabriel?" She waited for an answer at the entrance to the ladies room.

  “Despite his roguish behavior, I trust Gabe. We’ve been friends since childhood. So, yes, I think I can trust him.” Lucky offered a weak smile. It was unconvincing.

  He may trust Gabriel, but she didn’t. Even her wolf was unimpressed with Gabriel’s behavior at the football field, and the wolf finds him enticing. “I don’t, not yet.” On that note Rebecca left Lucky in the hall, mouth gaping slightly from the surprise statement she made as she entered the bathroom.

  She had no desire to come between the two guys. They had a weird relationship and connected past. She also had no desire to be part of a strange love triangle. Romance was not something she had time for. Well, maybe she could find time to investigate her feelings for Lucky but it wasn’t her primary focus at this point. She had to keep her head, literally. She was new to this world. Fear made her extra careful. It was interesting how an emotion that caused so much internal turmoil was also helpful.

  ‘I’ll do my best to protect you.’ Her wolf spoke softly in her mind. Rebecca refused to look in the mirror for fear of what her reflection would look like at the moment.

  ‘I know you will, but I doubt warning me will do any good in a fight.’ Rebecca responded.

  ‘Especially since you choose to ignore my warnings.’ The wolf responded with irritation. ‘But as we strengthen our bond you will be able to change from human to wolf outside of the full moon.’

  ‘Do you have any idea how painful that is?’

  ‘Yes, I feel everything you do, silly girl. But that pain is more preferable than death, don’t you think?’ The wolf snapped.

  ‘Sarcasm isn’t helping your case.’ Rebecca snapped back, dismissively. She glanced at her reflection and saw her worst nightmare, the violet eyes staring back at her. They were surrounded with her face and body, but she knew it was the wolf staring back at her. ‘Please leave me in peace for awhile.’ She sighed into her mind. Her reflection nodded and she felt the wolf recede. Gone were the violet eyes and back were her sapphire blue ones.

  Rebecca washed her hand still amazed at how quickly it healed. She was busy examining the perfect skin when Sundae came out of one of the stalls and stared coldly at Rebecca’s reflection in the mirror. Sundae’s dreamy, wispy voice broke Rebecca’s concentration. Her stare made Becca shiver inwardly. Just as quickly as the wolf left she was back; those violet eyes shining behind the reflection in the mirror.

  "Tell me, little wolf, are you happy with your life path change?" Sundae asked, barely above a whisper.

  Rebecca shrugged, trying to appear stronger than she felt. Talki
ng to a dream assassin was intimidating when you knew what she could do. But half the battle was confidence; while she felt little she showed a lot. Drama classes came in handy at this moment, so did her alter ego. "I chose it, so I guess so. Are you happy with your lot in life?"

  "No. I live in the land of dreams more than reality. There is little to be thankful for when you are what I am." Sundae circled behind Rebecca as she spoke, examining her from head to toe as she did so.

  There was sadness in her words. It pulled Rebecca in, despite the warning bell her wolf was ringing in her mind. Rebecca turned to face her and offered a gentle smile. “You’ve the power to create wonderful things, to help people. That sounds incredible to me, not sad."

  "We don't give happy dreams." She responded quickly, like it was a trained response.

  "Why not?" It was a simple question; loaded with so much possibility.

  "It is not what we do." Simple and succinct, that was Sundae for you. “To do so would result in stern punishment.” Sundae said the last part so low Rebecca wondered if she heard her correctly.

  "So you use your gift to hurt people?" Rebecca tried to keep the accusation out of her voice but failed.

  ‘Slowly step towards the door and stop talking.’ The wolf spoke, warning clear in her voice. ‘Your mouth is going to get us killed.’

  ‘I thought you were an alpha? How can you be afraid of a little girl?’ Rebecca asked irritated with her wolf.

  ‘I’m smart enough to know not everyone is as innocent as they look in the supernatural tapestry.’ The wolf made Rebecca take a step towards the door.

  ‘Stop that!’

  "I only hurt those that deserve it." Sundae tilted her head and examined Rebecca’s face for a moment. The scrutiny made Rebecca nervous and had her stepping towards the door. Sundae stepped in Becca’s path. "Do you deserve it, Rebecca?"

  ‘Don’t show fear.’ The wolf warned. This warning Rebecca listened to.

  Becca shivered inwardly and shrugged outwardly; Sundae seemed so innocent but so scary. It was a fascinating and terrifying combination. "I deserve a lot of things, but being judged by you isn’t one of them." Rebecca turned to leave, but stopped as her hand reached the door.