Delivered: (The Blackpaw Prophecy, Book 1)

by Leona Crowley

  Delivered

  The Blackpaw Prophecy, Book 1

  Leona Crowley

  DALIAN-P Press

  Copyright © 2020 Leona Crowley

  All rights reserved

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, events, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, places or organizations is purely coincidental.

  This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written permission of the author, except where permitted by law. The author does not assume responsibility for third-party websites or their content.

  This book is not a stand-alone book. It is the first book in The Blackpaw Prophecy series. The series is intended to be read in written order for the best reading experience.

  Content warning: Story contains mature themes and language and is intended for mature readers (18+).

  Cover design by: 17 Studio Book Design

  For Ian

  Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Dedication

  CHAPTER 1

  CHAPTER 2

  CHAPTER 3

  CHAPTER 4

  CHAPTER 5

  CHAPTER 6

  CHAPTER 7

  CHAPTER 8

  CHAPTER 9

  CHAPTER 10

  CHAPTER 11

  CHAPTER 12

  CHAPTER 13

  CHAPTER 14

  CHAPTER 15

  CHAPTER 16

  CHAPTER 17

  CHAPTER 18

  CHAPTER 19

  CHAPTER 20

  CHAPTER 21

  CHAPTER 22

  CHAPTER 23

  CHAPTER 24

  CHAPTER 25

  CHAPTER 26

  CHAPTER 27

  CHAPTER 28

  CHAPTER 29

  Epilogue

  About The Author

  CHAPTER 1

  Ashley

  The fog is heavy along the tree line. The light from the moon is piercing through the leaves in streaks. A wolf is standing beside a road that trails off in the distance. His silhouette appears black against the surrounding darkness. Even though I cannot see them, his eyes are penetrating my soul. Demanding me to follow.

  Every morning, I wake from the same dream. The same moonlit road. The same wolf. The same pair of eyes begging, pleading, challenging me to go down the mysterious road. I’ve memorized all the details. Accounted for every tree. Analyzed the fog, looking for any clue that might be hidden behind its veil. Still nothing. The unknown destination at the end of that road continues to haunt my nights and now controls my days.

  Isn’t it curious how destination and destiny are such similar words? Only the letters at the end are different. Will I find my destiny if I follow this wolf to this unknown destination? Everything seems to be hinting at such a conclusion, but I know there are no guarantees.

  It’s interesting what you think about when you’ve turned your whole life upside down. The rabbit holes your mind wanders down as you try to apply logic and order to an otherwise chaotic situation. What does this wolf want from me?

  For months, this dream has tormented me, haunted me. It came slowly at first, about once a week, then nightly, and now it controls my every action. I wish wolves could talk. If we could have a conversation in the dream, then this whole situation would be much easier for me.

  I think of myself as smart and levelheaded. I am thirty-three years old and have lived in Charleston, South Carolina, my whole life. I started working at Bowles Engineering after graduating high school and took night classes at the community college to get certified in computer-aided design. I worked my way up to project manager and was proud of the work I did. Some would say that I always do the right thing. Which makes my recent string of life-altering decisions a tad dramatic.

  Quitting my job was more difficult than I expected. I worked at that engineering firm for fourteen years and was pretty good at it. I totally get why my boss thinks I’ve lost my mind. Who quits a career to go on a crazy journey with an unknown destination? I didn’t tell him about the dream or the wolf. Wise choice, I believe. Safer to let him think that I’m just normal crazy and not full-on batshit crazy. No looking back now. I have committed myself to the cause: follow that wolf.

  Don’t get me wrong. Every single decision made in this dream-driven quest has challenged me like nothing else. I’ve cried myself to sleep and talked myself out of it, numerous times. But every morning I wake up knowing that I need to do this. I don’t understand how, but I am going to find this wolf. But to make that happen, I have to leave. So, here I am packing up my life to do just that.

  The closing on my house is in three days. The last of the furniture will be picked up tomorrow afternoon by a young couple just starting out. I’ve sold most of the big things and the packing is almost finished. I’m somewhat confident that what I’m keeping I will need, and it will all fit in my car.

  Looking at the piles of clothes around me, I’m at a complete loss. It’s hard to decide what to take when you don’t know where you’re going. I don’t want to get rid of all my work clothes, but I don’t want to take them either. Maybe a few outfits, just in case. I’ll pack the rest in a box and store them at my sister’s place. Photos and photo albums, some of my favorite books and mementos, and my laptop were easy to pack.

  Kitchen supplies make up the majority of what I’m keeping. I love to cook. I’m taking most of my baking pans, molds, and tart pans. All my measuring cups and mixing bowls, kitchen scale, and rolling pin. My favorite wooden spoons and spatula. That smaller stuff is simple to pack and doesn’t take up a lot of room. My stand mixer and coffeepot are also a must. I have painfully gotten rid of a few things with plans to replace them with an upgrade in the very near future.

  I haven’t had a lot of success in relationships, so there’s no boyfriend to worry about. I don’t think it has anything to do with me. My five feet five-inch height, hazel eyes that change with my mood, and curvy body have always drawn guys in. The problem is with the guys. I don’t feel any kind of connection with them. Even as I get to know them, they feel like strangers. If I don’t truly know them, then they don’t know me. Not only are we not in the same place at the same time, but we’re not even in the same time zone. The gap between us is just too vast. The bridge needed to build a relationship would be too difficult, take too long, and still be flimsy at best.

  I still need to tell Sarah, my younger sister, that I’m leaving. I’ve avoided her the past few weeks by passing off vague excuses and saying that I’m busy. She takes night classes at the community college so that has helped. We’re close despite a nine-year age difference. Leaving her is going to be difficult. I don’t think we’ve ever been away from each other before.

  Our mom didn’t take it well when our dad passed away several years ago. She wants to hide away from the world all alone, and no amount of prodding has helped to get her out of it. Sarah and I have continued with our lives as best we can. I’ll call Mom when I get settled and let her know where I am.

  Bang! The slamming of the front door echoes through the empty house. “Ashley, are you here?” My sister Sarah’s loud voice fills the space.

  Oh crap. What is she doing here? I’m not ready for this conversation, not without a bottle of wine…or three.

  “Yes, I’m up here. I’ll come down. I thought we were meeting for dinner later.” I scramble to get out from the piles of clothes that surround me.

  When I get to the
landing at the top of the stairs, I see Sarah at the bottom with her hands on her hips and a determined look on her face.

  “You have avoided me long enough, so I called in sick today. Here, I even brought the doughnuts you like. Now spill it. What is going on with you? Why did your office say you don’t work there anymore when I called earlier? Did you get fired? Where is all your stuff? Why does it look like you’re moving?” Sarah’s voice breaks and I know the tears are beginning to form.

  “No, I didn’t get fired. And I’ll tell you everything. Don’t cry. I know that you’ll have a lot of questions, but please let me tell you everything before you launch into a full-blown interrogation. Deal?” Coming down the last few steps, I grab the bag of doughnuts out of her hand. I make my way over to the couch and claim my favorite spot.

  Sarah reluctantly follows and sits at the other end of the couch. “Deal. You used to tell me everything. What changed?” The hurt expression on her face is apparent.

  “Nothing has changed between us, but everything has changed with me, I guess. The beginning is probably the best place to start. Do you want some coffee with your doughnut?” I stand and take a few steps toward the kitchen.

  Sarah points to the newly vacant seat on the couch. “No, I’m fine. Get on with it! I can’t take the not knowing any longer. I’ll listen and save the yelling and the questions until the end. I promise. So, sit and spill.”

  I slowly walk back to the couch, trying to figure out where to begin. Sitting back down, I release the breath I didn’t realize I’ve been holding. “About four months ago, I started having a dream. In the beginning it was maybe once a week, then every few days, gradually escalating to every night, and now I can’t close my eyes without seeing it. It’s become an obsession. I feel like the dream is trying to give me a message or something. But in order to get the message, I must follow its instructions. If I don’t do what the dream is guiding me to do, I won’t have peace. I don’t know how to explain it other than to say that something in my soul has to follow where this wolf is leading me, no matter what.”

  “A wolf?” Sarah looks confused.

  “Yes, a wolf. I’m not explaining this very well.” Scratching my head, I sit back further into the couch, pulling my knees to my chest. “The dream is of a wolf, standing beside a tree-lined road at night. Moonlight is the only illumination. Sometimes there is fog but not always. The wolf is looking at me and then back down the road as if wanting me to follow. Sometimes he’s shuffling his feet back and forth like he wants me to hurry. The wolf is huge and gray with black along his back. His right front paw is also black. His eyes are a golden brown and almost seem to glow in the darkness.”

  I pause for just a moment to take a few deep breaths. “When he looks at me, it’s like he’s staring into my soul. As if he already knows everything about me, including the deepest parts of me that I don’t know myself. Or that I’m too afraid to know. I try not to think about that part too much. And I feel like I know him too, or that my soul recognizes him. Not as a wolf but as a man, as if he’s the other half of me somehow. I don’t understand it and know it sounds outrageous, but it seems real. More real than anything I’ve ever experienced before.”

  I turn to look my sister in the eye. “So, I quit my job and sold my house, along with everything I don’t think I will need or will fit in my car, and I’m going to find that wolf.”

  “What? Are you crazy?” Sarah launches herself off the couch in a rage. “This is insane and definitely the most absurd thing I’ve ever heard. You cannot be serious. Where are you going? What if you never have the dream again? I’m sure James will give you your job back. Forget about your house. You can live with me. Yeah, that will work. I can keep an eye on you. You’ve clearly lost touch with reality.”

  “Wait. Please try to understand. You promised to listen.” Jumping up, I grab Sarah by the shoulders to stop her from pacing the floor.

  “Understand? This is the stupidest thing you’ve ever done! I can’t believe what I’m hearing. You’re my older sister, but you’ve lost your mind. I’ll claim the adult spot for a while and let you take a break. Clearly you need an intervention of some kind.” The tears have started falling full stream. “You can’t leave. What will I do without you?”

  I don’t let go of her as I make my final declaration. “Sarah, stop and listen to me. I need to do this, or I will lose my mind. I truly believe that I’m supposed to take this journey. That following this wolf will complete me in some way. Trust me, I know how crazy it sounds. And I don’t think the wolf will abandon me. It’s just that the next step is mine to take. And I’m not leaving you forever. We’ll talk every day, and when I get to wherever I’m going, you can come for a visit or move there too.”

  “And you have no idea where you’re going? Seriously?” She sounds only a bit calmer, but the tears have slowed.

  “Sarah, I promise I’ll call you every day and text you every time I stop for gas or food or change roads or directions or anything. I’ll tell you every time I have a dream. I’ll tell you everything, but I am going.” I look into Sarah’s eyes, searching for a glimmer of hope.

  Sarah exhales a slow breath, and her shoulders begin to relax. “OK. If I don’t hear from you, I will call the police. I swear.”

  “Deal. Now didn’t you say you took the whole day off from work? You can help me finish going through these clothes and move all the boxes into the garage. The furniture is being picked up tomorrow, and I want everything ready to load into the car before then.” I grab the bag of doughnuts from the couch.

  Sarah sniffles. “When are you leaving?”

  “The closing on the house is on Thursday, at nine a.m. I want to get on the road as soon as I leave the bank. Oh, and I used your address for my insurance, cell, and stuff like that. Is that OK? I’ll change it when I know where I end up.” I finally take a bite of a doughnut. Yum.

  “That’s in three days? That’s too soon. I’m going to call into work. I want to spend every minute with you until you leave. I still can’t believe you’re doing this. I’ll deny it if you ever mention it, but I think I might be a little jealous. It feels like destiny or fate. I don’t think I could do it.” Sarah grabs a few empty boxes and heads toward the stairs.

  “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. This is something I need to do alone, and I didn’t want anyone to talk me out of it. I can’t turn back now anyway. I’m past the point of no return. Do you forgive me?” Holding the doughnut, I look at my sister.

  Sarah makes her way up the stairs and looks back at me with a smile. “Don’t get mushy on me now. We have boxes to pack. And I really want to know how this turns out. You should be writing all this down, like in a journal or something.”

  Relief. That smile lets me know that everything is OK. With the support of my sister, I feel I have the strength to find this wolf.

  ◆◆◆

  I’m sitting in my car reviewing my checklist. I still can’t believe I’m doing this. The closing is done. I am now homeless. The car has been serviced, the money is in the bank, the cell phone is charged, and the gas tank is full. Everything is loaded and the cooler has drinks and snacks. I had breakfast with Sarah before the closing. We said our tearful goodbyes and shared one last hug. There’s nothing else to do and I’m ready to go. I feel a little bad that I broke my promise to Sarah. I had a dream last night, but I didn’t tell her when we were at breakfast. I want to think about it for a bit. I’ll tell her tomorrow.

  New Hampshire. The wolf was sitting next to a sign that read New Hampshire Welcomes You. I do like having a direction to go in. I looked at the map and have decided that I’ll split it up over a few days. I’ve never been to New England before, so this could be fun. If I focus on the adventure of the whole thing, maybe the out-of-control anxiety won’t completely consume me.

  Pulling onto the highway with Charleston at my back, a calm comes over me.

  I have a strong sense that the wolf knows I’m coming. I’m split with how I
feel about that. Part of me finds it comforting. Like there’s a conversation going on between us and he’s responding to my actions. The other part is a little unsettled for the exact same reason. How does a wolf in my dreams know what I’m doing? Something to think about for the road, I guess.

  ◆◆◆

  I’ve been on the road for a couple days now and have decided that driving by yourself on a long trip is boring. I couldn’t get on the road until close to lunchtime, so I didn’t get as far as I wanted. I stopped in North Carolina the first night. Last night I stayed in Connecticut. I’ll be in Massachusetts soon. I could have driven into New Hampshire yesterday, but I wanted to see all of it during the day. The weather has been nice throughout the drive, sunny and not too hot, so that’s good.

  The last few days on the road have left me alone with my thoughts. I’ve rehashed all that has happened up until this point and doubted every single decision I’ve made. I go back and forth in my head between second-guessing my choices and justifying my actions. The questions keep popping up like they’re on a loop, one after another: What am I doing? Why am I doing this? Is this crazy? What if there is nothing there? What if the dream means nothing? What if? What if? What if? The questions only stop long enough to replay each dream. Maybe I missed an important detail or misinterpreted its directions. Questions and dreams, dreams and questions, over and over.

  Other than my sister, I’ve told no one about any of this. My only validation has been more dreams. Dreams that are leading me closer to my destination…or further from my home? Wait a minute, do I have it completely backwards? Was leaving the only option? Was it my home? What made it home? I lived alone in the same town as my sister and my estranged mother, but not with them. Does biological family make a place home?

  My house belonged to me, but it never felt like home. There was comfort in the routine, but there was also loneliness. Ownership provided a sense of security, but the house, and my life, always felt empty. Whatever it is that makes a place home was missing, and I didn’t realize that until now. Yes, I do believe I am going towards something and not away from it.