The Wolfborne Saga Box Set

by Cheree Alsop

  “Good idea,” James agreed quickly. “And good thinking on the blade. I couldn’t figure out a good way to mix lavender and silver. Coating a silver knife was genius.”

  “Thanks,” the warlock replied, his voice quiet. He looked at the other werewolves. “And thank you guys for coming. We wouldn’t have gotten here fast enough.”

  The soft snorts that followed were acknowledgement enough. Mitch, Striker, Safira, and Frost, the youngest at sixteen, nodded at me before turning back to the forest that surrounded Brickwell. The thought of going with them to the Willards’ house was a welcome one, but Virgo needed bandaging himself and I wouldn’t leave a human alone with the jakhin. Part of me still questioned whether she would rise again.

  “You should go with them,” Virgo suggested.

  I shook my head.

  He sighed. “I figured as much.” He reached into the open door of the truck and pulled out a bag. “Here’s some clothes. You’ll want to phase; I’d hate for you to be naked when the coven shows up.”

  I gave a sniff of forced laughter at his joke, but didn’t feel it. The three witches who headed the coven scared the daylights out of me. If I didn’t have to worry about answering questions, I would stay in wolf form to meet them. It felt safer even though I knew the power they possessed was far greater than my phasing from the moon.

  “Let’s get you home,” James told Virgo. “Alia said she’d have the first aid supplies ready when we got back.”

  “Great. I hate stitches,” the warlock grumbled. He glanced at me. “You’re lucky you heal by moonlight.”

  I gave him a wolfish grin.

  He shuddered. “Don’t do that. It’s terrifying.”

  I grinned again. He shook his head and climbed into the truck.

  “Take care of yourself,” James told me. “I’ll tell Alia to leave out the supplies in case you need some bandaging when you get back. I’m sure she’d be happy to help, so wake her up if you need to.”

  I nodded but would do no such thing. I could take care of myself.

  The human waved and climbed into the driver’s side of the truck.

  “Take it easy with my baby,” I heard Virgo say to James.

  “If this beat up piece of junk is your baby, it’s a good thing you don’t have children,” James said before he started it up.

  Virgo’s reply was lost in the rumble of the engine.

  I watched them drive away.

  The realization that I was by myself with the creature’s corpse wasn’t a pleasant one. I told myself I was being foolish, but then a chill ran down my spine.

  My body tensed at the realization that I wasn’t alone.

  Chapter Four

  I spun and found myself a few feet from the ghost who had led me out of the warehouse. The lavender from Virgo’s well-doused knife touched my nose at the same moment. I sneezed before I could stop myself.

  Her contemplative expression changed to a disappointed one. “That’s all I get? A sneeze? I saved your life, you know.”

  The one constant I had found during my research on ghosts and poltergeist and the like was that it never paid to make one angry. I wagged my tail, something I had made a point to never do in the Lair.

  The ghost’s expression softened with a slight smile. “I guess I can’t expect a thank you when you’re a wolf. You should go change.”

  Her sudden amiability surprised me. I picked up the bag Virgo had left in my mouth and carried it into the warehouse. Though it hurt with the random lacerations from the jakhin, I phased quickly and pulled on the loose black sweat pants.

  “What are those?”

  I spun with my hands out, ready for an attack.

  The ghost didn’t appear to notice. Instead, she drifted closer. “Those marks, and that black one on your chest. What are they from?”

  I glanced down. The burned brands stood out sharply against my skin. In the middle of my chest where her focus had landed was a jagged black wolf pawprint, remnant of my nearly dying at the hands of the witches who were on their way. Deep red scratches remained from the lacerations that were healing beneath the moonlight. Empathy for Virgo getting stitches filled me. I had been there before; I never wanted to be at someone else’s mercy again if I could help it.

  “Just scars,” I said. I pulled the tee-shirt over my head and slid it down.

  “Scars from what?” the ghost asked.

  I had hoped my curt answer was enough, but the curiosity in her gaze refused to leave. I let out a breath from between my teeth and chose a change of topic.

  “Thanks for your help back there.”

  She glanced toward the interior of the warehouse, then away. “Oh, that? That was nothing.”

  Something in her tone told me otherwise. “That wasn’t nothing. That was brave.”

  A slight hint of something lit her gaze. She gave a derogatory shake of her head. “It wasn’t, because I’m dead. I wasn’t at risk.”

  “But you were afraid,” I stated, watching her closely.

  She began to shake her head, then nodded it instead. “That thing was scary.”

  “Terrifying,” I agreed with enough enthusiasm that it made her smile. “So what made you come find me?”

  “I was worried about you.”

  Her words caught me off-guard. “Me? Why?”

  She lifted a shoulder. “You’re the only one who really sees me, and I thought…I thought that if I helped you, maybe you would help me?” She turned away and took a few steps toward the darker end of the warehouse. Her feet floated above the ground, but the grace of the effort was the same. “It’s stupid, really. I don’t know what you could do.”

  The smallness of her voice caught me. I threw the shoes Virgo had supplied back into the bag and carried it to follow her. “It’s not stupid.”

  She glanced back at me. “How could you help?”

  I thought about what I knew of ghosts. “Well, most spirits stick around because they’ve left something unfinished.”

  She frowned for a moment, then seemed to warm to the idea. “Alright. Like what?”

  I took a guess. “Maybe your family?”

  She turned away, but not before I saw the tears that glittered in her eyes at the mention. “No, not them. I’ve tried to talk to them or get their attention, but my mom can’t hear me. She cries a lot. So does my dad and brother. I can’t get them to pay attention to me.” She sniffed and wiped her eyes. “I know they’re missing me and it breaks my heart, especially when I can’t tell them I’m okay, because I really don’t know if I am.”

  The heartbreak in her voice ate at me. I truly did owe her my life. I didn’t know how to repay a ghost, but I would sure try.

  “I’ll talk to my friends,” I promised her. “If anyone can find a way to help you, they can.”

  She threw me a damp smile. “Thanks, Zev.”

  She made her way toward the back of the warehouse. The glow around her dimmed as if she was about to disappear. But her use of my name made me realize something.

  “Wait. You know my name. What’s yours?”

  “Ceren,” she called over her shoulder. “Ceren East.”

  “Where do I find you, Ceren?”

  She turned back to face me as she vanished into the darkness. “I don’t think you can find me, but I’ll find you.”

  The sadness from her voice lingered like a heavy weight in the warehouse. They weren’t just words. The girl was truly lost. I don’t think you can find me. She needed help; I just wish I knew how to do it.

  The sound of a car pulling up in the night jarred me from my thoughts. Three sets of footsteps crossed the cement.

  “I wouldn’t have thought of using lavender and silver in that way, but it apparently worked.”

  The sweet voice sent a tremor down my spine. It took a steeling of my nerves for me to turn and face the warehouse door. The shadows beyond appeared far more ominous than the seemingly normal discussion of three older women. I had learned to trust in shadows.

/>   “The werewolves did quite the job,” Madam Henrietta noted. “It’s amazing they didn’t kill it.”

  “We did.”

  All three woman turned to face me. Madam Henrietta and Madam Doxy appeared surprised to see me, but Madam Anna merely smiled. “Hello, Zev. How are you this early morning?”

  Her long black hair caught the lingering moonlight with a splay of raven purple. It offset her somewhat troubling cat sweatshirt and accompanying poodle skirt, beneath which peaked her usual pair of cat-adorned sneakers.

  The sight made my heart tighten in fear. I willed my heartbeat to slow and forced a small smile to my lips. It wouldn’t do for them to sense my uneasiness. I had no doubt they would feed on it like a pack of hungry felines.

  My assessment might not have been fair. Their smiles were welcome enough and they didn’t act like anything other than innocent women called upon to take care of a bothersome paranormal creature. Yet my chest ached at the reminder of the bullets that had nearly killed me, bullets the cat-sneaker-adorned woman had ordered shot at my chest herself. Something like that was a little hard to forget.

  “I’m well,” I replied. “And I’m glad to say the jakhin, or whatever it is, isn’t.”

  Their attention turned back to the dead creature a few feet from me. It looked even more eerie in the light of the early dawn.

  “Yes,” Madam Anna said. “A jakhin is right.” She gave me a curious look. “There are quite a few similar creatures out there to settle on the right one. Who figured it out?”

  “James, I think,” I told her. “He’s a human but has studied the paranormal for a quite a while. He came here with Virgo.”

  “Why did Virgo leave?” Madam Henrietta asked. “I was hoping we could see him.” She lowered her gaze and said quieter, “To see how he’s doing.”

  I didn’t know how to answer her unspoken question. Virgo’s mother had been their dear friend as well. It was clear to see how hard losing her had been on all of them. I went with the easy answer. “The jakhin clawed his arm, so James took him back to the Willards’ to get patched up. He left me to answer any questions you might have.”

  Movement caught my eye. I glanced over to see Ceren the ghost girl watching the witches as they studied the jakhin. Madam Doxy bent down and poked the creature with her wand. I took a step back in case it returned to life. I couldn’t blame Ceren in the least when she did the same.

  “We have a few questions for you,” Ceren said.

  Madam Henrietta turned around and asked, “Did somebody say something?”

  Ceren opened her mouth to speak again, but I shook my head at her. The last thing she needed was for the witches to become aware of her presence. They had shot me and imbued Isley with the full strength of her elemental power without her consent. Who knew what they would do to a ghost?

  Ceren crossed her arms and glared at me.

  “Maybe they can help me with my problem,” she said sullenly.

  I shook my head.

  “Who are you looking at?” Madam Doxy asked, following my gaze.

  “Nobody,” I said. I looked away, but not before I saw the hurt expression on the ghost’s face. I told myself I didn’t need to feel guilty, but I did. I hated human emotions.

  “What were you saying about the jakhin,” I asked in an attempt to change the subject.

  “This James is correct in his labeling,” Madam Anna said. “I would like to meet him someday.” She said a word and the body of the jakhin levitated off the ground.

  “Whoa,” Ceren exclaimed. “I didn’t see that coming. They really are witches!” I shot her a wide-eyed look and she sighed. “What am I supposed to do? Remain silent like a ghost.” At my eyeroll, she stuck out her tongue and stomped soundlessly to the door of the warehouse.

  I caught Madam Henrietta’s searching gaze and said quickly, “I think they package meat in some part of that warehouse. The smell keeps distracting me.”

  She gave me an understanding smile. “Must be hard battling your wolf side all the time. The poor dumb animals are always worried about food above all else.”

  Ceren giggled.

  I ignored her and pressed the small advantage the witch’s leeway gave me. “It is hard, especially with all the paranormal entities running around. What should I do if I’m constantly plagued by the ghosts who were freed by the earthquake?”

  “Interesting question,” Madam Doxy said, joining our conversation. “We’ve been hard put settling the ghosts around here to rest. The earthquake that followed the breaking of the dark coven’s chant upset a lot of spirits. If some won’t settle, we’ll have to find their bodies and burn them to release whatever hold they have on the souls they used to house.”

  I saw Ceren give a visible shudder out of the corner of my eye. I couldn’t imagine watching my body burn as a ghost. The thought was unsettling. I gestured toward the jakhin to give her a break. “Was that what woke this up, too?”

  “Probably,” Madam Doxy began, only to be cut off by Madam Anna.

  “No,” she said firmly. She motioned with her hand and the body turned in a slow circle. “Jakhins aren’t restless spirits.”

  The creature’s dark eyes stared accusingly at me. I told myself she was dead, but looked away until the head rotated past.

  “They’re called, not awoken,” Madam Anna continued.

  Madam Doxy stared at her with wide eyes. “So this one wasn’t an accident?”

  The witch she addressed shook her head.

  “What does that mean?” I asked before I could stop myself.

  “Two things,” Madam Anna replied. “Somebody summoned this jakhin on purpose, and odds are there’s another of them out there.”

  I felt as though I had been doused with a bucket of cold water. I glanced at Ceren and saw the same shocked expression on her face that must have been on mine.

  “Another of them?” I said. “Are you sure?”

  Madam Anna nodded. “Jakhins are known as the double threat of the underworld. They always run in pairs.”

  I swallowed uneasily. The creature had nearly killed me. It would have if it hadn’t been for Ceren’s help escaping the warehouse and Virgo vanquishing it so it wouldn’t heal and rise again.

  “It wanted to hurt a guard in the warehouse, and it killed a family’s dog,” I said. “The other one will be dangerous.”

  “Where did you find it?” Madam Anna asked.

  I described the house near Virgo’s bookstore.

  “Interesting,” the witch replied. “I wonder what drew it there. Jakhins are known to be very single-minded when it comes to being summoned. We need to question the family to see if they know of anyone who has been involved in black magic.”

  “I can do that, and I can help with the dog,” Madam Doxy offered. She winked at me and said, “I like dogs, and if it was killed by a jakhin that’s now dead, I can reverse the death.” She nudged the creature with the toe of her boot. “Actions that are caused by fiends that don’t naturally belong in this world come with a bit of leeway when it comes to the laws of this realm. I can give them their dog back and erase their memory of what happened.”

  I couldn’t help smiling at the thought of the children being able to forget what they had seen. There was no doubt the dog would be happy to return as well. “Thank you,” I told her. “I’m sure they would appreciate that.”

  She cracked her knuckles noisily. “I could use the practice. It’s been a while since I’ve done a reverse-healing vanishing memory spell.” She motioned toward the witch with the cane. “Come along, Madam Henrietta. This will be a learning experience.”

  “Oh, goody,” the witch replied with enthusiasm. “I’ll be able to use Freddery.”

  She winked at the cane. I swore the green-eyed glass snake that was carved around it winked back.

  “Her cane is named Freddery?” Ceren whispered.

  Sometime during the discussion, she had walked close enough to nearly touch my arm, if ghosts could touch. I didn’t
know if it was her want to be involved or her fear of another jakhin that made her do so; I took a protective step to put myself between her and the creature before catching myself. She was a ghost. I couldn’t protect her if I tried. She was the one who had helped me, not the other way around.

  I followed Ceren’s gaze to where Madam Anna was sprinkling something over the jakhin.

  “Is that salt?” I asked.

  She shook her head. “Rosemary.” She looked at me over her shoulder. “It has the same effect but smells better. More like stew than jerky.”

  I nodded as if I knew what she meant, but I had no idea.

  Madam Anna blew on the end of her finger. A flame appeared.

  She spoke without looking at me. “I’d recommend leaving now. Rosemary might cover the stench for humans, but animals’ senses are sharper to make up for their lack of intelligence. You should probably go so it doesn’t make you sick.”

  “Thanks,” I replied dryly. I didn’t know whether to be offended or appreciative of her concern. Either one felt wrong.

  I glanced around and realized I didn’t have a ride. Anxious to be as far away from the warehouse as I could, I walked past the building and into the trees.

  I felt better there away from the presence of the creature. I didn’t care if it was alive or dead; it still gave me the same chills. The sounds of birds who had risen early to herald the dawn with their cheerful chirps soothed my soul. The ache from the jakhin’s claws was fading. The wounds wouldn’t heal completely until I could spend time in the full moonlight again, but at least they were through bleeding. Even though it would have been far faster to phase and run to the Willards’, I knew better than to stress my body out more than I already had.

  The shoes in the bag I carried hit my legs with a quiet cadence. If it wasn’t for the fact that they were Virgo’s, I would have left them behind. Shoes were the most unnecessary part of a human’s wardrobe, if one didn’t mention underwear. So many layers were stifling. I couldn’t understand the reason for more than a simple covering. Shirts and pants or shorts were like fur. I had never seen an animal with multiple layers of fur, though wolves shedding their winter coat looked absurd with tufts here and there. Maybe humans missed shedding?