Wolf Marked (Magic Side: Wolf Bound Book 1)

by Veronica Douglas

  “What’s that?” I asked.

  “Someone wove some killer enchantments on your engine that kept it running. Honestly, without them, she’d have been a pile of scrap metal years ago.”

  The blood drained from my head and the world spun. “My car…is magic? Did Jaxson have this installed?”

  “Nah. Wolves only use aftermarket shit. These are custom. Really old-school and kinda obsessive. Like, I think you don’t even have to have a working carburetor with this one, here.” Zara pointed, her voice clearly bemused.

  “Let me see that.” Casey plucked the flashlight out of Zara’s hands and leaned over the hood. “Whoa. These are some tight spells! Really precise. It reminds me of my mom’s…” He stood up, slammed his head on the hood, and swore, but then he beamed at me. “Damn, Savannah. I bet your dad enchanted your car. How sweet is that?”

  I shook my head, trying to clear away the shock. “But my mom was the mechanic. We spent hours working on it together. My dad said he barely knew how to change a flat.”

  Casey’s grin reached ear to ear. “Yeah, well, I think he was tinkering around with it when you weren’t looking.”

  My dad had spent a lot of time alone in the garage. I’d thought it was because he’d liked swearing loudly at the TV when the Bears played. “Holy crap.”

  My cousin patted me on the back. “Seems like your parents both left a little of themselves in your ride. That’s really cool.”

  Uncle Pete’s words came rushing back to me from when I’d helped him brew the scrying potion. Sorcerers put their souls into their magic, which is why they seldom gave out potions or enchantments. That meant my dad had left a lot of his soul in my car. And after so many hours working together on it with my mom, so had she.

  As had I.

  Zara closed the hood and took her flashlight back from Casey, who’d begun to inspect other things in the shop.

  I wiped away a tear that slipped down my cheek. I missed them so damn much, and I wished they’d confided in me and prepared me for this bizarre world before they’d left.

  I traced my fingers along the Gran Fury with a newfound sense of wonder. It seemed, even with them gone, I hadn’t ever been quite alone. Not as long as I had my car.

  Rubbing away the dampness from my eyes, I turned to my new friends. “So, who wants to go for a spin?”

  “Hell, yes.” Casey’s eyes lit up. “Happy hour at Cocina del Jorge starts in twenty. Best nachos south of the Midway and microbrews on tap. Also, there’s a band that sings scandalous songs at your table.”

  I laughed. “Jorge’s it is.”

  He clapped his hands together. “I’ll buy the first round. You coming with, Zar?”

  Zara sighed like coming with us would put her out. “Sure. Technically, this was supposed to be my day off, so I’m free for a few hours. But no tequila shots.” Her eyes flicked between Casey and me. “The last time we were there, your smartass cousin shot tequila out his nose and caused a bar fight with a bunch of vamp bikers.”

  After knowing Casey for a week, I wouldn’t expect anything less. We were definitely related. “Sounds about right. Let’s see what kind of trouble we can get in today.”

  “I call shotgun,” Casey said, sliding into the front seat. Zara shook her head and cursed but hopped in the back anyway while I slid into the front.

  “Hey, you can skate?” Zara hefted up my old roller blades by the laces.

  Casey laughed, and I blushed as my childhood came back to haunt me. “I’m pretty good at not falling on my face.”

  “Hell yes.” She dropped the skates. “I’ve got two words for you. Roller derby.”

  I raised my eyebrows. “Roller derby?”

  She gave me a wicked grin. “Yep. This Friday. Also, the situation has changed. This is a discussion for tequila shots. Let’s go.”

  My hands were damp with anticipation as I slid the key in the ignition.

  I closed my eyes.

  While my friends chatted, I thought of my mother and father, who’d tried so hard to protect me from this world. And even though they’d never told me anything, they’d done pretty well, all things considered.

  There was still a faceless monster out there hunting me, but we’d shut down his organization in Wisconsin and gotten three abductees back alive. There wouldn’t be any new Madison Lees on the news, and that was a win.

  I took a deep breath. Today was about getting my car back and being happy. Tomorrow, I’d tackle the rest of my life.

  I turned the key, and the engine purred. Pure joy shot through my heart.

  My baby was back.

  Thanks for joining us on this wild adventure! If you’ve got an extra minute, please leave us a review on Amazon (mybook.to/Wolf-Marked) and Goodreads. Reviews make a huge impact. They help us become better writers and keep us going through the difficult pages!

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  Wolf Bound, Book 2: Untamed Fate will be here in September. You can preorder it on Amazon here: mybook.to/Untamed-Fate

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  In the meantime, would you like to know more about Jaxson’s mysterious encounter with the fortune teller and the events that led him to hunt down Savannah? Sign up for our newsletter to get access to an exclusive, insider only prologue story: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/wgkpoqcjqa (you can unsubscribe at any time).

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  Finally, if you’re interested in learning more about the archaeology and history that inspired this book, keep reading!

  Author’s Note

  Thank you so much for reading Wolf Marked!

  This book was conceived while hiking in the woods in Door County, Wisconsin. When the fog rolled in, we knew we were in werewolf country. Savannah’s car, on the other hand, was inspired by our own vehicle, which broke down catastrophically while visiting Linsey Hall. As of this writing, it is still being held hostage in an auto body shop with a busted tranny.

  As archaeologists, we love to include historical tidbits and places in our stories. While Wicked Wish and the other books in Dragon’s Gift: The Storm swept our characters off to Egypt and Anatolia, we wanted to stay close to home with Wolf Marked and celebrate Chicago’s history.

  Savannah and Jaxson visit a seer at the Full Moon Fair, which is a remnant of the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition. The original Chicago’s World Fair was divided into two parts. The first was the White City, which was located in modern day Jackson Park. The central focus was fourteen great buildings constructed around a massive basin. Their white-washed exteriors and neoclassical design gave the Exposition its nickname, the White City. Despite the extraordinary effort put into constructing them, they were intentionally temporary structures. The only building that remains is the Palace of Fine Arts, which was originally constructed with a brick substructure to protect the priceless works of art on display. After the fair, it housed the Field Museum of Natural History for a while. Between 1928 and 1932, the building was reconstructed with a limestone exterior, and is now the iconic Museum of Science and Industry, which you can visit today.

  The other part of the fair was the Midway Plaisance, a mile-long green space that connects Jackson Park to Washington park. It was populated with amusements, state and cultural exhibits, carnival rides and iconically, the original Ferris wheel—a 264 ft-high spinning marvel constructed to rival the Eiffel Tower. The attractions of the Midway Plaisance served as the direct inspiration for Magic Side’s Full Moon Fair—though our Ferris wheel is bigger and floating in the air. If you look at the Magic Side map in this book, you can see how we intentionally mirrored the Midway and Jackson Park in the layout of our city.

  You may have found it surprising for Savannah and Jaxson to wander through a reconstructed street from Cairo while at the fair, but that exhibit was one of the major attractions of the original Midway Plaisance. It provided us with a fun chance to call back to Dark Storm and Neve and Damian’s adventures in Helwan. A fortune teller’s tent was outside the original Street in the Cairo Exhibit, which served as our inspir
ation for Dominique (who we assure you, is the real deal). If you want to read more about how the Midway inspired our book, sign up for our newsletter at www.veronicadouglas.com/newsletter. We’ll be writing an update about it soon!

  Belmont, Savannah’s hometown, is a tiny town in southwest Wisconsin. We chose it because it was the original capital of the state, before Madison. We wanted our book to celebrate Wisconsin as much as Chicago and figured the best place to begin was where that state itself was born. You can still visit the historic site where the first territorial legislature met in 1836. Two restored buildings remain, the Council House and the Court House. Afterwards, you can take a short stroll and look for werewolves lurking in Belmont Mound state park.

  Wolf Marked is set in the wider Dragon’s Gift universe created by Linsey Hall. The best part of writing in this big world is that we’re able to bring in characters from other series, so you can expect a lot of crossovers between the folks from Guild City, Magic’s Bend, and Magic Side in the future.

  That’s all the archaeological and historical notes we have room for this time around, but we’ll be posting more in our newsletter.

  We hope you’re looking forward to reading the sequel, Untamed Fate! It will be here in September, and we’ll have it up for pre-order soon on Amazon: mybook.to/Untamed-Fate.

  In the meantime, if you’d like to chat more about the books, interact with fellow readers, and get the scoop on what’s up next, join the Veronica Douglas Facebook reader group here:

  https://www.facebook.com/groups/veronicadouglas

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  Whew! That’s all for now! Thanks again for reading!

  -Veronica Douglas

  Untamed Fate

  Magic Side: Wolf Bound, Book 2 Preview

  Last week I was a waitress. Now I’m turning into a monster.

  No one knows the truth, except the faceless man—a twisted sorcerer who’s hellbent on stealing my soul.

  With secrets and danger hot on my heels, the only one who can help me tame my inner beast is Jaxson Laurent—the Chicago alpha. Our chemistry is explosive, but the rift between our families runs too deep.

  Do I dare trust him? The last time we worked together I barely escaped with my life, and if it comes down to choosing between me and his pack, I know who he has to pick.

  Time is ticking, and my life is hanging in the balance. We must unmask the faceless man before he brings darkness down on us all.

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  An action-packed urban fantasy, Untamed Fate features a kick-ass heroine, a dangerous alpha hero, and a steamy slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers romance.

  You can preorder Untamed Fate on Amazon here: mybook.to/Untamed-Fate

  Wicked Wish

  Dragon’s Gift: The Storm, Book 1 Preview

  If you’re ready for more Magic Side adventures and want to read a complete series right now, try: Wicked Wish (co-authored with Linsey Hall).

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  I’m at the mercy of a fallen angel.

  I work for the Order of Magica, the supernatural version of the FBI. Sounds fun, right? Except I spend my days chained to my desk, writing reports, and wishing that I was out solving crimes. Well, be careful what you wish for.

  When my best friend is abducted, my life in Chicago turns upside down.

  I’ll do anything to get her back—even work with Damian Malek, a wanted criminal, notorious crime lord, and dangerous fallen angel. He’s hot, lethal, and he's the only one who can help me master my dangerous powers. I don't want anyone to know about my magic, but I have no choice if I want to save my friend.

  Here's the catch: if the Order finds out that I’m working with Damian, I’ll get canned. Maybe even be hunted for what I am. But if I don’t give him what he wants, he’ll reveal my secret to the world.

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  Wicked Wish features a rebel heroine, a dark angel hero, and slow burn romance. Prepare yourself for edge-of-your-seat adventure amongst ancient ruins and fantastical worlds.

  If you enjoyed the archaeology, history, and daring in Linsey Hall's original Dragon's Gift books, this adventure is for you!

  Begin the adventure now: mybook.to/Wicked-Wish

  Acknowledgments

  Veronica Douglas

  Thank you to everyone who has been so supportive, especially Linsey and Ben—we could never have done this without you guys! Also, thanks for letting us borrow your car—we promise we’ll bring it back soon;)

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  Thank you to Jena O’Connor and Ash Fitzsimmons for your patience and amazing editing skills. This book would be broken down on the side of the road without your advice.

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  Thank you to the amazing readers on our advanced review team! Extra special thanks to our beta readers Susie, Penny, Aisha, Charity, Eleonora, and Max—your eyes are so sharp!

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  Many thanks to Lauren Gardner for all of your amazing hard work. You are a lifesaver!

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  And finally, a huge shoutout to Orina Kafe who designed this mind-blowing cover!

  About Veronica Douglas

  Veronica Douglas is a duo of professional archaeologists that love writing and digging together. After spending an inordinate amount of time doing painstaking research for academia, they suddenly discovered a passion for letting their imaginations go wild! A cocktail of magic, romance, and ancient mystery (shaken, not stirred), their books are inspired, in part, by their life in Chicago and their archaeological adventures from around the globe.

  This is a work of fiction. All reference to events, persons, and locale are used fictitiously, except where documented in the historical record. Names, characters, and places are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

  Copyright 2021 by Veronica Douglas

  Published by Magic Side Press, LLC

  All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form, except in instances of quotation used in critical articles or book review. Where such permission is sufficient, the author grants the right to strip any DRM which may be applied to this work.

  www.veronicadouglas.com

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