Lone Wolf Rising (Paranormal Romantic Thriller) (The Winters Series)

by Jami Brumfield

  Savvy compared the two guys. They were both built like someone who spent hours a day in the gym. Long, lean muscles rippled under their skin when they moved their bodies. Their faces were different. Gabe’s was hardened, rugged, which was strange for someone so young. It was obvious he had a difficult life. Savvy could relate. Lucky’s face, however, was softer, but still strong. He was cute and Gabe was handsome. He was light and Gabe was darker. In that moment, Savvy did not envy Rebecca’s choice. They were both amazing specimens, both offered great potential.

  "Yea, it’s beautiful here in the mornings and evenings, but the afternoons, well you know." Savvy decided she better answer him before he realized she was focused on introspection. While Savvy was good at acting like she was an extrovert, she was more comfortable being introverted and reflective. In that way, she was more like Rebecca than either of them recognized.

  Lucky nodded. "It feels like we’re walking in an oven." He chuckled lightly.

  "That’s a perfect description!" Savvy laughed with him. She couldn't help but laugh. It was easy to see why her sister found him so appealing. Everything about him was perfect. She diverted her attention back to the rim of her cup, feeling guilty for admiring Rebecca’s boyfriend. “Did you see the local news fry an egg on the dash of a car the other day? It was a story about how hot it gets in a car during the heat of the day. They were trying to point out that leaving an animal or baby in the car in this heat is deadly.” It was an interesting take on shock value and Savvy felt it was also a great change of subject topic. Who didn’t find science experiments in the real world interesting?

  He chuckled, “no, I didn’t, but now I think I will have to try it as an experiment.”

  “Just don’t eat the egg.” Savvy offered a weak grin over the rim of her cup. The silence stretched out between them as they continued to watch the battle in the sky.

  Finally, Lucky asked, "What’s wrong?" His eyes searched the side of Savvy’s face. She was ashamed to admit she felt the heat from his intense gaze. She never liked it when people stared too long at her, and his searching made it more unbearable.

  "I’m worried about my sister." She blurted it out. She really hated that about him. It was impossible to lie to Lucky when he asked a direct question. She noticed that special skill of his this weekend. So instead of letting him probe for answers with those deadly golden amber eyes she decided to lead the conversation. "Becca hasn’t been acting herself lately." Savvy sipped the tea and enjoyed the taste of milk, cinnamon and cloves on her tongue before going on. "She seems more self-destructive than normal. If I know my sister - that is dangerous."

  "Why do you say that?" Lucky trained those eyes on hers.

  And with one question he was back in control. "Surely you see it; skipping school, yes I knew about that! The lack of involvement or interest in school work. She was up late last night working on an extra-credit paper for history which happens to be her favorite subject. Not to mention the way she’s been skipping family commitments. However, the biggest concern is that she hasn’t picked up her guitar or song book since the incident." That last one really scared Savvy.

  "What incident?"

  Savvy swallowed hard against the lump in her throat. Somehow she feared she was telling him something she shouldn't be talking about. "The night you two spent in the Superstition Mountains. The night we lost our twin connection. And then there’s you. You came out of nowhere. I don't know if you know this but my sister isn’t the type for relationships and she really likes you. In fact, aside from me, Hunter, and grandmother, you’re the longest relationship she’s ever had."

  He nodded, "So basically, the only one she’s ever had; I mean we’ve only been seeing each other for a couple of weeks."

  "And you two are always together, unless she’s with Gabriel." Savvy’s hand flew to her mouth. She decided to take her foot out of her mouth and continue. "But the thing that really scares me is she’s no longer needing her coping mechanism; the only thing that has worked for her grief. Her music has always been her way of working through the emotional pain and now… I can't remember the last time she used it.” It was all true. And while Savvy felt guilty about spilling the beans, she had the overwhelming hope that he’d be able to help her. He was, after all, her boyfriend. It made sense to engage him in helping her.

  “Well, maybe she doesn't need the coping mechanism anymore. Or maybe she found another way to cope.” He smiled, it was a grin meant to make Savvy feel better but it didn't. It made her more worrisome.

  "Really? Because in the last ten years the only time I’ve seen her take a walk on the dark side is when she doesn’t use her music as an outlet." Savvy wished he’d understand the severity of the situation.

  "Okay, so we need to find a way to spark that inspiration in her again. I’m sure there’s an open mic night somewhere in this town. Shall we find one and get her to sign up?" Lucky offered a solution.

  Savvy felt excitement bubble up inside her, "That’s a great idea. Only it would have to be tonight or next week since the dance is only a few days away." She began planning.

  "Let’s play it safe and look for something next week." Lucky spoke the voice of reason, putting a kibosh on her planning.

  Savvy rolled her eyes, "you’re right, I’m such an overachiever." She took another sip of her tea. "Oh, my! Look at me. I’m a terrible host. Would you like some tea?"

  Savvy jumped when the door opened behind her, expecting to see Rebecca and Hunter, only it was their grandmother. Her grandmother was dressed in jeans and a loose cotton t-shirt. Whenever it was possible her feet were bare and apparently this was one of those times.

  "Hello grandmother. You know Lucky, Rebecca's boyfriend?" Savvy introduced him to her grandmother as soon as her heart slowed down.

  Grandma seemed preoccupied. "Yes, hello, Lucian. Savannah, I made you something and I want you to wear it at all times." She handed Savvy a golden heart shaped locket with three colorful tiny jewels in the casing. When Savvy opened it she found a picture of Rebecca and Hunter.

  "Oh, grandma, it’s beautiful!" Savvy gushed as she stood up on the steps and hugged her tightly. Her grandma seemed more frail than usual. It sparked a hint of concern.

  "I’m glad you like it. I need you to promise never to take it off." Grandma offered a worried smile.

  There was a tension in her voice Savvy hadn’t been familiar with. Grandma sounded so intense she couldn't help but make the promise. "I promise."

  Savvy’s fingers shook as she unclasped the necklace and began to put it on. Lucky was behind her instantly, "Here, let me help you." His fingers brushed hers and electricity shot down her arm. She quickly dropped her hands, but her senses were on high alert. She felt his warm breath on her neck as he focused on the task at hand and found herself wondering how someone with such big strong hands would be able to maneuver the clasp; but he did it with ease. When he was done his hands stayed on her shoulders longer than necessary. It had to be a friendly gesture. Savvy fought the urge to lean back into him.

  Hunter and Rebecca were the next ones to join them on the steps. When they came barreling out of the door, Lucky removed his hands like he was touching fire. They all headed to the Escalade and she began to wonder if the intense feelings she was starting to develop for Lucky were reciprocated? Surely not! Rebecca and he were practically inseparable.

  "Have a great day at school." Their grandmother waved as they pulled out of the drive. Savvy noticed the smile on her face didn't reach her eyes. What she saw there was worry and sadness. What was happening to her family?

  Chapter Nineteen

  ~"I am not afraid of werewolves or vampires or haunted hotels, I am afraid of what real human beings do to other human beings."

  ~Walter Jon Williams

  Rebecca

  “Where are you going?” Lucky's voice pulled Becca away from her thoughts as he slipped his arm in hers and turned her away from the direction of the class that she was heading to. It was Tuesday morning
and she had a math test second period. Not that it would matter if she showed up or not. There was no way she was going to pass it. She was terrible at math even after studying. But last night she didn’t study math at all. She proceeded to blow up the relationships in her life.

  “Uh, class.” She told him simply as she pulled her arm from his and turned on her heel towards class again.

  This time he spun her around and gently pressed her against the wall beside the lockers. He moved in close and for a moment she thought he was going to kiss her. ‘Please don’t kiss me’ she thought as she tried to push him back out of her personal space. She needed time to figure out what was happening between them. She needed time to make sure that her feelings were real. She didn’t want to be a home wrecker. Even though she knew it wasn’t a typical engagement, he was still engaged. Then there was Gabriel. Just the thought of him made her heart skip a beat. She needed time and space from both of them to figure out what to do.

  Instead, he took the hand that was attempting to push his chest away in his, raised it, and gently kissed her knuckles while staring deeply into her eyes. Her breath caught in her throat as her heart missed another beat and then raced full speed ahead. Gods be damned, he was sexy… but off limits she reminded herself of her resolve and shook her head to break the contact. Yesterday he told her he was engaged. She told him they could work through the obstacles if that was what he wanted. After last night, she wondered if that was a promise she could keep. She was so confused.

  He seemed reluctant to work through anything yesterday, especially after Gabriel’s mating proposal. What really threw her for a loop was that today he was flirting with her mercilessly. It was like a painful roller coaster, and both Lucky and Gabriel were running the ride. All she wanted to do was get off.

  ‘You belong with Gabriel. You know it, and that’s why you are having doubts today.’ The wolf offered her opinion. That was all it was, her opinion. Rebecca needed to decide what was right for her.

  ‘As I have said before, this isn’t your choice.’ And with that the wolf went silent.

  “Remember the meeting you asked me to set up with Celestia?” Lucky asked, his eyes searching her face. What was he looking for she wondered?

  “Yes. It was only yesterday when I asked you to help organize that meeting.” She reminded him.

  “We have to go now.”

  Rebecca didn’t need to say another word, she simply followed him. This time, though, she didn’t call Gabriel. This time it would only be Lucky and her because they needed to talk. He needed to know what happened with Gabriel and she needed to let him know how she felt.

  Unfortunately, there was little talk during the drive. Rebecca turned in on herself and prepared for the meeting. She didn’t know how this was going to work but she knew that Celestia had to have some insight as to what happened to her parents.

  The feeling that she was responsible was weakening the more she learned. She was starting to realize she wasted too many years buried in grief and self-pity over the idea that she caused their deaths. And if there was someone involved in wanting to kill them, perhaps then, it wasn’t random, and it wouldn’t have been her fault. The reality of this was hitting her like a brick wall and she didn’t like getting hit.

  He pulled into a parking spot next to an abandoned gas station and she didn’t ask any questions until he led her up to the metal meshed fence. “Ah, okay? Are we waiting here for her?” She didn’t know much about vampires but she was sure that a lady like Celestia wouldn’t lower herself to meeting in such a shabby place.

  In an odd sense she felt like she was back in the old west. With the exception of a few random cars flying past them, the world seemed still. Then she remembered the vacuum repair shop so she started looking for a hidden electronic keypad.

  Lucky stepped behind her and put his hands on her shoulders; keeping her firmly in place. “Focus on the scene before you, allow your eyes to soften and look past it.”

  Focusing on anything but his smooth voice caressing her neck and ear was impossible at the moment. Lucky knew how to seduce, whether he wanted to or not. Rebecca wondered if that had something to do with being a nephilim. Maybe his charisma and attraction came from the angel half. Regardless, it made him irresistible at times.

  “Concentrate.” He chided her gently. “There will be plenty of time to discuss other things later.”

  Rebecca felt heat rise on her neck and cheeks. She wondered if he could read her thoughts. She hoped that wasn’t the case. She knew his special power was mental. Was he telepathic? He cleared his throat reminding her to focus.

  Rebecca blinked her eyes and did her best to focus past the scene, like one would do with those pictures that are made to trick the eyes. Looking past the blobs of color always made the picture pop out at her. When the same thing happened here, in the middle of town, she stumbled backwards in awe and wonderment, falling against Lucky’s solid frame.

  Instead of the abandoned gas station she found herself looking at a creepy old house that screamed horror movie location in her mind. It was dark, despite the high noon sun. The landscaping was well manicured, like one would expect surrounding a mansion. The windows were boarded up and covered in black paper.

  The hair on the back of her neck stood up, and every nerve, cell, and fiber of her body screamed at her to turn and leave. It was like looking at a haunted house built into a mansion. Instead, she steadied herself and with Lucky at her side she took a step forward. Suddenly the illusion of the metal fence and the gas station was gone and she was in the pop-out picture.

  “That’s insane.” She lowered her voice, unsure of why she was whispering. The only living things around were the trees and the plant life. There were no birds or rodents. If she looked hard enough she would venture there were no insects either. She was thankful Lucky was at her side; holding her hand, giving her strength.

  He shrugged, like this was a common occurrence to him. “It’s called rune magic. Witches are really the only ones that understand the true secret behind runes, but they’re neutral so they can protect the dark and the light.” He leaned in close, "from my understanding we’re on a different dimension which overlaps with earth."

  Rebecca shook her head, “so many rules and so little time to learn them.”

  “I don’t know. You’re catching on pretty quickly for a novice.”

  “That’s because I have a wolf bossing me around. But I also have a great teacher…” he smiled. “Besides, despite the fact that I was not raised in magic, it has apparently surrounded me all my life.”

  “True.” He stopped her from walking further for just a moment. “You need to know that we’re going to be outnumbered in this house.”

  “Understandable.” Rebecca’s wolf was already devising an escape plan. She could hear the mumbling in her mind.

  “I may need to step in and protect you despite your desire to be unprotected.”

  The wolf growled a warning at that. Rebecca wanted to refuse his offer of help, but logic got in the way and she nodded her head. It was hard not to remember that first day of training in that moment. “Thank you. And I also know where you hide your weapons so I call the dagger.”

  He chuckled, "It’s yours, and thank you for letting me do my job.” They continued walking up the graveled driveway.

  And there was that word again. She was a job to him; a duty to see through. Despite the attraction they felt for each other, reality was making it crystal clear they weren’t meant to be together. It was a harsh realization that hit her like a truck. “About that, I think there’s something you should know…”

  “Hurry, hurry, my mistress is waiting impatiently.” A skinny, worried looking man approached them from the bushes by the front door. He ushered, no, herded them towards the door quickly and within moments they were inside. In a way, Rebecca was thankful because she was sure it would’ve taken her much longer to use the scary looking knocker.

  They stepped into an old-world styl
e mansion. Two marble spiral staircases came down from the second floor on either side. A magnificent glass chandelier hung from the ceiling above them. The floor was black and white checkered marble. The furniture was black, white, and silver with red décor accents. She might have enjoyed the décor even more but the squirrelly man was too busy pushing them through the hall to a room that looked strange, like an old-style throne room. Celestia, in all her beautiful deadly glory, was laying luxuriously on an oversized red velvet chaise lounge. To make the scene even more over the top, she had three shirtless men in skin tight white pants fanning her with human sized red fans. Rebecca’s instincts were right; Celestia did have expensive taste, but the male servants were overkill.

  "Has anyone ever told you that you look a lot like your mother?" Celestia’s voice was commanding and had a slight British lilt.

  "A hello would be nice." Rebecca countered, already irritated. All vampires put her on edge, this one was no exception. Even without her vampire radar, Celestia seemed dangerous. She exuded a level of power that she no longer possessed; thanks, in part, to Rebecca’s parents’ deaths. That made Celestia as dangerous as a trapped animal. Thoughts of the other child vampire she helped a few days ago filled her mind for a moment, but she pushed them aside. Rebecca’s eyes flitted around the room to see if she could spot the girl vampire. At the same time she was counting the figures in black that were positioned tactically around the room. Twelve was her final count.

  Celestia laughed and waved the men away as she sat up. She wrapped her red satin robe around her shoulders and gave Rebecca a dazzling smile. "You will have to forgive me. I am from the old world and I am not comfortable with modern formalities."

  "I don't have to forgive you of anything." Rebecca plastered on the same dazzling, condescending smile. Lucky squeezed her wrist in warning, then let go.