Orphan Wolf (Wolves of Wisconsin Book 3)

by Marie Fraser

  Deeply confused, Emma leaned her head back against the bed’s crown, groaning. Then an idea formed in her mind. Eureka!

  She finally knew what her upcoming article was going to about.

  * * * * * * * *

  Emma switched all the lights in the room. She zoomed her camera right in the baby’s face and clicked another picture. Hmm, better, Emma mused to herself. But there was still a big glitch in her plan. Emma didn’t know how or when the baby would turn back in its wolf form. And until that happened, she would still be lacking the actually interesting photos. It was a bummer she hadn’t clicked any on her way to the shelter house that night, but then again, she’d been too frenzied to think about anything then.

  And so, Emma waited another night. Another. And another. But the baby boy simply continued sleeping. However, one night, when Emma was awake even after midnight, she caught something strange happening. She was working late that night, when a low growl caught her senses. Emma tip-toed to the other room and saw the baby wolf pacing the room frantically. Immediately withdrawing her phone, Emma clicked a picture.

  Locking the wolf inside, Emma ran to her own room, and peeled open her laptop. Finishing her own article, she uploaded the wolf pictures on her Instagram blog, with melodramatic captions and emojis It was a perfect way to create a hype.

  Let the drama begin.

  Chapter 2

  Noah Wesley was probably the richest man in the whole of Northwoods of Wisconsin. The Light Flayer, they called him.

  He was the Wesley’s most mighty asset; the ultimate combatant they gloated about in the battlefield and in their massive castles.

  Rich, strong, and handsome, he was every woman’s painfully far-fetched dream. Young, beautiful ladies trailed his supreme airs like some weary plague; insignificantly bothersome. Yet, he denied them all – the rain of proposals that followed the entrance of his gaudy figure in the ballroom; the potent magic of his phenomenal aura that enchanted all eyes – he shrugged off all of them. Too lowly and shallow, he held them under his conceited gaze, like some emperor surveying an array of expensive gowns.

  He had never married.

  Nor did he intend to ever do so. It was not that he was wrong in his decision. Besides, what did the women really have to offer? Money he had; extraordinary beauty he showed off; and military skills wore his movements like an art that an average man would take years to master. He was a rare – perfect element of Nature; that required no woman to complete its circle.

  Besides, he was The Marked One. The only fortunate wolf in their entire pack to be blessed with extraordinary powers. It had been a prophecy that after every two centuries, a wolf would be born with skills that would outmatch all his peers.

  Moonless nights would lead to this magnificent birth. However, in the folds of time the prophecy had been forgotten, long buried under the monotony of life. Until Noah entered the world. Even as a baby, he was swift like lightning, beautiful like the moon, and gifted with peculiar powers. Not only could he read any mind, he could also turn normal humans into werewolves. However, that was a very dark aspect of his powers, and one that he was hardly eager to employ.

  Nonetheless, he was quite wrong, indeed, in playing his devious games. His desire, and evil nature to flirt with women, and trick them under the spell of his glamorous charm; knowing how to mischievously prey upon their most powerful weakness, spoiled that beauteous thin, oval face, and the shiny black hair that elevated its beauty, consequently rendering him truly wicked at heart.

  No warrior ever had the gallantry to even bruise his heart. Yet he wounded many. With the indifference of an executor.

  * * * * * *

  Noah sauntered through the long hallway with a proud air tugging his chiseled features. Just two years, till that brilliantly silver sharp sword would embrace his hands – the sword that shall clear the prince’s title from his head and declare him the glorious Chief of Clan Wesley of Vilas; the title which his father currently held.

  His lime green gown brushed against the pearly white marble floor. The sound of his heavy weapons traveled through the corridor – the distinct alarm of an approaching imperatrex to the servants.

  A maid scurried forth. Her gaze was glued to his feet, like the rest of them, and her voice trembled in his vicinity, as she spoke,

  “M - Mr. Wesley, Master wishes your presence in the dining hall.” Her statement was precise and short-lived; no disrespectful, casual remarks that would eat up her master’s time.

  Without replying to her bothersome message, Noah strolled to his left. What an untimely call of father! His bubble bath would be getting cool. Despite the frustration that such a thought induced upon his mind, Noah deemed it better to attend on his father.

  The guards swung open the gilt-framed doors and allowed him in. The weather around the hall had not unusually undergone a wonderful metamorphosis. The pale blue curtains that snaked around the marble pillars in summer, now gleamed crimson under the powerful light of the chandeliers. New portraits inhabited the walls, and the skin of the sofa seemed unfamiliar too; it changed shades as quickly as a chameleon and so Noah had lost count.

  Father’s enormous body rested against the front of a chocolate brown, lavishly built sofa sleeping on a rust-shaded rug in the middle of the chamber. His gray-black bushy mustache was hung in a weak frown, and the wrinkles on his loose skin thankfully appeared deeper. He was clad in a black, brown silk gown.

  “Good morning, Father,” Noah said, perching himself on a sofa across him. Father’s eyes were still fixed on the parchments that sat across the wooden tabletop. He was writing a letter; it oddly seemed to require him some pondering, which Noah could easily withdraw from his vacant looks.

  “Good morning, Noah Wesley. I have a task for you.” He paused. Noah could sense the familiar, restless thrill climbing up his skin.

  “I wish you to visit the Antigo County, Noah.”

  A scowl glazed Noah’s lips instantly.

  “That grimy town? That seems like unusual business?”

  Louis George Wesley, father of Noah, and the Wolf Mage of the whole of Northwoods of Wisconsin, sighed. He took off his glasses, placing them on the mahogany table. He looked older. Under the brilliant light, Noah could discern deep creases etching his father’s face, and was alarmed by the feeling of sudden elation at the sight. He swallowed the emotion instantly. Not yet. He could still wait.

  “A local lady has let our secret out. It is only a matter of few pictures of a baby wolf on the media, but I don’t want to take any risks. I want you to kill that woman and bring the wolf home. He will be nurtured and trained here in our schools.”

  “But why me? Surely some ordinary wolf member can do it.” Noah frowned.

  “No, I’ve heard some unsettling stories about that county. Some strange kidnappings and murders. I cannot risk losing any lives, and therefore it must be you.” Noah’s father’s raspy voice echoed through the still air of the hall. There was a powerful authority in his tone that made his statement sound more as a verdict than simple reasoning.

  “I understand, Father. My allegiance to the clan, I assure you, is too strong to be slighted by sacrifices and uncomfortable circumstances. I will act my best, and work to maintain peace with the troublemakers.”

  “You have yet again made me proud, Noah Alexander Wesley. The clan shall always remember your generous contribution.”

  Noah nodded, rose up and made his way out of the chamber.

  Chapter 3

  Somewhere ahead, in a dark corner, somebody was sitting alone. Emma peeled her eyes, struggling to make out the stranger. She bent her body forward, and caught the man edging away from the shadows, his head averted towards something else. Emma choked on a breath, startled. The man was more than just handsome; he had a strong jaw, aquiline nose, and full, red lips pursed in somberness. He was wearing jet-black Ray-Bans, and a gray cap was thrown over his silky hair, that peeped out at the sides, glinting charcoal-black. Every time Emma slid her eyes
away from his gorgeous face, she felt an irresistible urge to look back. Just one more time.

  It was not that Emma was drawn towards men all the time. Normally, she found them mundane and uninteresting; all like each other, one way or another. But there was something so alluring in this stranger’s pose, the way he straightened his shoulders, snorted at his watch, face creased as if something was bothering them. His entire self set Emma’s feminine heart on fire.

  It was clear that he was waiting for someone. Girlfriend? Emma thought half-heartedly. But no, he didn’t look like a man who’d be scared of a trivial date. He struck her more like a person on some secret mission. Something wholly sinister. Finally, he was on his feet, cheeks glazed orange. He was clad in a white polo shirt, a deep blue blazer thrown over his wide shoulders, and black pants. Evelyn caught him plucking at his gloves, something silver glinting beneath them. He made towards the door, his feet so swift, that in the skip of a beat, he was gone. Emma rushed after him, her restless mind drawn towards an unresolved mystery.

  She rushed past the doors, and caught a glimpse of the man turning around the corner. Emma sprinted after him, slipping between the crowds, careful not to alert him. God, it would appear so creepy. He was walking too briskly and Emma was finding it hard to keep up. He took huge big steps, a careless ease in his gait, as he made his way to the Grand Library ahead. Wait, what? Emma stopped dead in her tracks as she caught him walking through the doors, humming a jolly tune. He reads too? Emma had never found such an unusual combination before; usually hot, muscular men were more into athletics than…literature. But if Life had decided to customize such a gentleman especially for her, she better not complain.

  Emma strolled through the narrow anvils, glancing around her frantically, when a deep voice over her shoulder startled her.

  “What is a beautiful lady like you doing here at a boring library, Miss?”

  He was grinning. The entire world crashed to her floor, as she caught him looking at her with that gorgeous face. Holy shit. He looked even hotter up close. Emma could sense her face flushing. Damn, it was humiliating.

  “I could say the same about you too, sir.” She smiled. Not bad. Definitely not her worst.

  He shook his head, laughing. “Noah, please.”

  He held his hand forward, and she shook it. “Emma.”

  His skin was incredibly warm, and smooth. Emma had the alarming urge of holding on a little longer but thought better not to cause any further embarrassment.

  “Emma…Summers?” His eye brow rose up in thought. “Hey, aren’t you that girl with that amazingly peculiar story of the baby wolf online?”

  Shit. He knew about her, too. This could not get any more difficult.

  “Yep, that’s the one.” Though Emma was internally screaming with anxiety, she was doing a pretty good job appearing calm.

  “Oh, that is incredible.” His thin lips curved into a gleeful smile.

  He had dimples. Fucking hell. He looked so cute. Emma wanted to stick her fingers into them, just to get a chance to caress his smooth skin again.

  “You know I’ve been looking for you!” He ran his fingers through his shiny hair, too surprised. He brought his gaze back to her face, still smiling, “I’m a wolf expert, you see. So, I hoped if I could have a look at him.”

  Emma’s heart fell. Yet another con. She’d been chased by men and women this entire week, willing to steal the baby wolf from her. People were hungry for fame. And Noah was just another one of them. Of course, how could life ever be so generous to her anyways.

  Emma spun on her heels half-heartedly, a mixture of annoyance and sorrow mingling in her heart. She was halfway to the front door, when she felt a slight nudge at her elbow.

  “What-”

  “Emma, are you alright?” Noah was looking at her confused, his brows furrowed in concern. “I’m sorry if I said anything wrong back there. I just wanted to-”

  “Noah, forget it. I don’t have time for this shit.”

  She felt the heat of Noah’s eyes as he scanned her face for any meaning, but before he could say anything, she bustled outside.

  * * * * * *

  Noah withdrew his sunglasses from his jeans pocket, and put them on. Sliding into his black Mercedes, he hit the engines, pushed hard at the pedal, and sped into the city. He was well away from her car, enough so that she couldn’t notice him in her rear mirror.

  Emma Summers was a strange woman. Unlike all the previous women Noah had encountered, she hadn’t fallen head over heels for him. In fact, was it the other way around? Noah couldn’t say. He’d tried reading her mind in the library, but her willpower had proved too strong and Noah’s mind had unusually been blocked. Some wolf members had done that too before…but never a human.

  And right now, as Noah chased her secretly, he didn’t know whether he was doing it to retrieve the wolf, or to simply…follow her. His stomach twisted in perplexity. It was a highly odd feeling. One he’d never experienced before, and to be very honest, Noah didn’t know how to react to it.

  As Emma’s car closed up on her destination, Noah felt an evil feeling wash him. This sudden rush of emotion was similar to the one Noah had felt back in the alley where he slayed those grotesque. Like some evil magic was at play.

  Discomfort horribly tugging at his senses, Noah quickly parked his car a good ten miles away from hers, and got out. It was late afternoon, and the sun had lost itself behind the clouds. Emma’s apartment building stood in pale darkness. Noah looked at her with keen eyes.

  Something was odd.

  Noah could sense it in the air. He could sense his body twitching intensely, as if wanting to transform. He’d gotten quite close to her now. Emma’s car had pulled over, and now she was sliding out. However, instead of walking up to her apartment, she made her way to the book store next to it. There was a narrow lane right next to it. Noah hurried towards it.

  While Emma shopped, Noah patiently waited. Right there, in the arms of the gathering darkness, Noah had no clue what he intended to do after she exited. Follow her to her apartment, and then murder her? For a second, and probably for the first time in his entire twenty-year old life, Noah felt discomforted at the thought of murder. It felt unnecessary. However, denying the Wolf Mage’s orders was no less than treason, and Noah was thus left with no choice.

  Confused and deeply upset by the idea, he could feel his stomach twisting. Scratching the back of his neck in thought, he craned his head back, when a man caught his eye. Dressed in tight pants, and a black vest; a silver chain glinting at his neck, the man looked like a complete punk. As he edged closer into light, Noah’s breath hitched.

  He was part werewolf.

  But before that was absurd, that was impossible. Totally impossible. In this world, you could either be a human, or a wolf. Not half of both. Noah’s brows knit in confusion. The part werewolf was closing in on the shop. A crowd of people were gathered near the glass window, admiring a new book release. Emma strolled out of the store. The man edged near.

  Noah dived forward.

  Chapter 4

  Emma was fingering her brand-new book through it's bag, when a hand pressed against her lips, pulling her body into the narrow grimy lane. She wanted to scream. But the grip on her mouth was too strong, and as Emma tried to fidget her body away, an arm pulled her even closer to the closer to the darkness. Her back was to a man’s chest, head colliding into his smooth shoulders. Emma shuddered. Disgusted, and annoyed, she closed her eyes, mustering all her tiny strength, and bit the man’s hand sharply.

  He let out a low groan, pulling his hand back hastily. “Ow!”

  Emma turned sharply at the sound of his voice. Her eyes grew wide in shock. “You again!” She poked her finger squarely in his chest, struggling away, but found his arms too tough. He jerked his arm again, wrapping her body in, as if trying to protect her from something. Noah smelled of ash wood and pine. And a tinge of smoke.

  “Will you stop acting like a kid?” He said through
clenched teeth. Emma glanced his way and caught a muscle twitching in his sharp jaw. His thick brows were furrowed, and ocean blue eyes fixed ahead. Emma slouched her shoulders. His grip at her waist relaxed, and Emma jumped at her chance.

  Shooting out of his arms, she dashed ahead, feet stumbling in panic. She hit right into a massive body. Taking a step back, she found a monster grinning at her, his point sharp teeth catching the light. Emma’s feet buckled under her. The monster brought a hairy hand to her cheek, his ashen lips pulling back into a cunning smile. “Let’s get you to your home, darling.” Emma shuddered under his gross touch. When she opened her mouth to let out a blood-curling scream, her breath chocked in her chest.

  Noah had slid out of the shadows. The monster’s face fell.

  “Light Flayer,” the monster’s voice trembled. “What are you doing to Antigo?” He glanced in Emma’s direction, and his mouth grew into a sneer. “Of course. Does Wolf Mage finally?”

  Noah’s eyes were narrowed to slits. Emma had never seen him look so enraged. And when he spoke, his voice was ice cold, “Know what?”

  “Ahh,” the monster continued grinning, “the Light Flayer is ill-informed. Well, trek away,” he said, waving his hand, and shifting his attention back to Emma, “I have business to attend to.”

  “You should know your place,” Noah finally smirked, eyes still cold, “teil werewolf The only business you have, is with Death.”

  And before the monster could respond, a shining blade sliced the air, slitting his throat. His ugly face tumbled on the ground.

  Suddenly, Emma’s body felt too cold. Her eyes petrified, feet rooted to the spot. For a few long moments, she simply stood there, gaze stuck on the body-less face. Then Noah’s voice tore her out from her trance.