Falling For The Wolf (Crystal Lake Forest Wolf Shifters Series Book 4

by Ovidia Pike

  “I didn’t even see that one,” I said to her in amazement.

  “One-zero,” she said with a smirk. I heard footsteps behind us and swiveled around, swinging the stick, clubbing a wolf in the skull with a sickening crunch. I didn’t have time to gloat before three more of the rotting wolves were upon us, baring their teeth. One of them dove at us and Camilla caught it through the neck with her stick, tossing it away before jabbing the point into its skull. I saw her move out of the corner of my eye but didn’t have time to respond before one of the rotting wolves jumped on top of me, its jaw going to my throat. Camilla managed to impale it through the skull so that it collapsed on me, and I grimaced as I rolled out from underneath it.

  “Thanks,” I said, wiping my shirt off.

  “You’re losing,” she said with a grin, turning around to proceed further. I hurried to her side, gaping at her. There was still a smile of satisfaction on her face. I stopped, taking her hand, pulling her to me. I kissed her softly, unable to stop myself, and she lingered for a moment against my lips before pulling away. She stayed quiet as we continued through the trees, occasionally coming across one of the wolves. We took turns taking care of them, but by the time we’d circled around, Camilla had taken out three more than I had, and still she had a satisfied smirk on her face when I glanced her way.

  “Don’t look so smug,” I said to her with a grin. She giggled.

  “It’s just so funny that you thought you had a chance of winning.”

  I laughed, shaking my head, and opened my mouth to speak when I heard a shriek go up through the trees. I exchanged a glance at Camilla and we started to run, darting toward the noise as another scream went through the air. We pulled up in a clearing to see a woman surrounded by the wolves, at least five of them. Camilla and I jumped in without hesitation, killing each wolf quickly. And then suddenly everything froze. I tried to move my limbs but found that I couldn’t, and I could see that Camilla and the other woman were frozen as well. I cursed myself inwardly, knowing what was happening even before the faceless man circled into view. He looked at me with his blank mask, and somehow, I saw disapproval there.

  “Samuel,” he said. “You have disappointed me yet again. How many times do I have to teach you a lesson? I’ve been taking it easy on you because I like you. And Camilla likes you. It was in my best interest to keep her happy but now—you stopped her from killing Gabriel Alarick. You’ve gotten in my way again and again.”

  I didn’t say anything, couldn’t say anything as he approached the woman in the center of the clearing.

  “I’m afraid I did something horrible,” he said, plucking the woman by the back of her neck, lifting her into the air. His face opened up to reveal a gaping black hole. He lifted the woman and shoved her into his mouth, swallowing her down, chewing on the way. Then the hole closed. The sight of it was horrifying, and my heart pounded in my chest as he approached Camilla. I tried to move, struggled as hard as I could, but stayed completely frozen as he looked her over.

  “Should I give her one more chance, Samuel?” he asked. “She is powerful. I’ve seen her fight. She might be my only chance, but...not if you’re around to stop her. Maybe I should eat you, spare myself anymore trouble.”

  I tried to shake my head, felt panic race through me as he approached me, gliding on his long legs. He paused in front of me and shook his head.

  “Everyone else is dead. I ate them all,” he said, bringing his blank face close to mine. “Every single one of them.”

  I wanted to growl at him in anger, to shift and tear him apart, but I couldn’t. I couldn’t do anything to save myself or Camilla.

  “I’m going to let you go one more time,” the faceless man said. “Because I think you give her something to fight for. She has no soul, otherwise. She’s just a hollow vessel, filled with hatred for your kind. Except for you.”

  He moved over to Camilla, leaned in to her face.

  “You have one more chance,” he said. “To kill Sophie and the Alpha. If you don’t, I will pluck your people like fruit one by one.”

  Suddenly, I lurched forward, the paralysis broken. I heard Camilla gasp for breath, grabbing her spear, throwing it as hard as she could at the faceless man. He chuckled and burst into hundreds of crows, taking off through the sky as we watched.

  “Are you okay?” I asked her. She gave me a serious look.

  “I am. Do you think he really—”

  “Ate everyone? Yes,” I said with a sick feeling in my stomach.

  “We need to go look for them anyway. Some of them might have gotten away,” Camilla said, beginning to walk again. We searched until the sun started to go down, and I noticed that there were no longer any wolves around us. We didn’t see a single one as we turned around to make our way back to the village, walking in the dark, both of us tense.

  “You can’t do it, Camilla,” I said, knowing exactly what she was thinking about.

  “I have to now. To save my people. To save—” she cut herself off, casting a glance at me.

  “We need to talk to Gabriel about it. He can help.”

  “How can he help?” she asked in a disdainful voice. “He’s useless.”

  “He’s powerful. He’s the strongest shifter in either of our lands. And it doesn’t seem like the faceless guy can kill him; otherwise, he would’ve done it himself by now.”

  “He can’t,” Camilla said. “As far as I know. But he didn’t say why.”

  “So we talk to Gabriel about it,” he said. “He needs to know. And you can’t kill him. You know it’s wrong, Camilla.”

  “I can’t stop thinking about Sophie,” she admitted. “Last time I talked to her—they’re so...in love with each other. It’s disgusting and I just can’t—if I hurt him, it’ll destroy her. I don’t want to do it. But I don’t have another choice.”

  “You do,” I contended, putting my hand out to block her from walking forward.

  “We’ll go to Gabriel,” I said. “Okay? You don’t have to do this.”

  “If he finds out I was going to kill him...” her voice trailed off.

  “We won’t—we can tell him it was me. That the faceless man wanted me to kill him and you stopped me.”

  “No, Sam—”

  “It’s safer that way,” I said, staring into her eyes. “Okay? Just trust me. I’ll fix this.”

  She stared at me for a long moment, then gave a silent nod and a sigh.

  Chapter 14: Gabriel

  “They’re all dead,” I said dryly. “He ate them.”

  “Yes,” Sam said.

  I rubbed my hand over my brow, shaking my head. “How did that happen? They were supposed to be trained.”

  “There is no training against that thing,” Camilla said, her voice sharp. I turned my eyes on her to see the same disdainful look on her face that was always there when she looked at me.

  “No? So what’s the point of you two, exactly?”

  “To kill the zombies that he’s planning to let invade your village,” Camilla said.

  “What exactly did he say to you?” I asked them.

  “He wanted me to kill you,” Sam said.

  “Excuse me?”

  “He...commanded me to kill you,” he said. “But I wasn’t going to do it. I knew we should come to you right away.”

  “Why would he possibly think that you could kill me?” I asked. “It doesn’t make sense.”

  “He didn’t ask Sam to do it,” Camilla said.

  “Camilla—”

  She put her hand out to cut him off.

  “I was supposed to kill you. I’ve...tried. But I didn’t get close.”

  “You’ve tried to kill me,” I said in a slow voice. She nodded, a nonchalant look on her face.

  “Tell me why I shouldn’t tear your throat out right now,” I said to her.

  “I won’t let you,” Sam said in a growl, a clear defiance in his tone. Despite how we felt about each other, I had never heard him use anything other than a polite tone
.

  “You couldn’t stop me,” I said to him sharply. “You’d be dead before you got close. I could crush your windpipe without trying.”

  “You won’t touch her,” Sam said, not budging in his resolve.

  “So he wants me dead. Why doesn’t he do it himself?” I asked.

  “He can’t. He told me he can’t,” Camilla said.

  “Why not?” I asked in confusion. She shrugged.

  “Fine,” I said. “I’m going to find this fucking thing. I want to talk to him.”

  “Okay,” Sam said, standing up. I stripped out of my clothes as they left the hut, shifting and trotting through the village to the edge of the woods. I ran through the trees at a steady pace, sniffing around as I went, though I had no idea what I was trying to catch the scent of. I crossed over the line from my land to the deep woods and shifted, grabbing a spear that I found on the ground, one that must have been dropped by a guard.

  “Hello!” I called out. “Come out and talk to me, you prick.”

  There was no answer. I continued to walk around, peering through the trees.

  “Come on!” I shouted. “You scared little bastard!”

  “I am not afraid of you,” came a voice behind me. I pivoted on one foot to see a tall, thin man without a face, just a blank space on his head where it should have been. I had no idea how he was speaking at all. He approached me as if he was gliding, his face tilted down to look at me.

  “Gabriel Alarick,” he said. “Bane of my existence.”

  “Why do you want me dead?” I asked him. “How many people have you sent to kill me?”

  “A lot. Too many,” he said. “The lions couldn’t do it, the big man couldn’t do it, the warrior girl flaked.”

  “So do it yourself,” I challenged him, stepping forward.

  “You know I can’t,” the man said dryly. “That’s not how this ends.”

  “What are you talking about?” I asked him in confusion.

  “You know the prophecy, Alarick. You know what happens to your bloodline.”

  “It dies with me. I know. What’s your point?”

  “Do you know anything about your death?” he asked curiously.

  “No,” I replied. “I wasn’t told the full prophecy. Just that I—”

  “That you and any natural mate you take will die before you produce a child. That it will be violent for her. You do know that?”

  I swallowed hard, feeling the dread wash down to the pit of my stomach.

  “Yes,” I said. “I know that.”

  “Yet you’ve taken a mate, anyway,” he said. “Interesting choice. I would have probably stayed away from love altogether, personally. But I suppose a man like you—one day you’ll see her dead and you’ll feel nothing.”

  “Nothing is going to happen to Sophie,” I growled.

  “It will if you carry on with her, and you know it,” the faceless man said. I felt my whole body shrink in on itself with the knowledge that he was right.

  “I’m getting her out of here,” I said. “As soon as I can.”

  “That’s probably a good idea,” said the thin man. “Otherwise, she will die. I’ll make sure of that.”

  “So you have something to do with the prophecy?”

  “I do, but it wouldn’t do me any good to tell you, now would it? I’d rather it be a fun surprise.”

  “You’re afraid of me,” I said. He chuckled.

  “Not quite,” he said. “And really, you’re the one who has something to be afraid of. One day, I’ll get you. I’ll be powerful enough to lay a hand on the Alpha without—”

  “Without what?” I prompted. “I know what’s happening. I’m supposed to kill you, aren’t I? That’s how it goes?”

  For a moment it seemed like his face had screwed up in irritation.

  “Do you kill me, too? Is it like a mutual thing?”

  The faceless man didn’t answer, just peered down at me.

  “One day the true Alpha of your village will rise,” he said in a soft, deadly voice. “And you will be gone, as if you were never here in the first place. No legacy, no mate, no children—you might as well not even be alive for all the good you do for your people. They hate you. They are afraid of you, because you’re as much of a monster as I am.”

  I gritted my teeth in anger, staring up at him with hatred, knowing every word he said was true.

  “I’m going to get moving now,” he said. “I’m tired of this conversation. You’re more ignorant about the issue than I thought you were. You know nothing, you have no powers—this prophecy is a joke.”

  “And yet you still won’t try to kill me,” I said. He scoffed and walked away, slowly through the trees. I watched him go but didn’t go after him—I felt nausea rise in my chest thinking of Sophie, remembering the prophecy, one I had let slip from my mind in the joy of loving her. I turned around and shifted again, jogging through the woods until I reached the ranger station. I knocked on the door and a stout woman answered, looking over my naked body with interest.

  “Hel-lo,” she said, her voice a whistle.

  “Hi,” I greeted her, clearing my throat. “I came to talk to your supervisor. Is he around?”

  “That’s me,” she said, finally bringing her eyes back to my face.

  “Good—I—the current ranger we have isn’t working out. I need a replacement as soon as possible. I’m getting her out of the village today and she won’t be back.”

  “Okay,” she said. “Any reason why?”

  “She’s...a danger to the other shifters, and to herself. She doesn’t belong out here. I’ll expect to be sent a new ranger within a week.”

  “Yes, sir,” she said, eyeing me again. I turned and left, feeling sicker than ever, a sour taste of bile in my mouth. I hurried back to the village and paused outside of Sophie’s door, steeling myself before I knocked on it. She opened it and beamed up at me, then threw herself into my arms and kissed my lips. I held her away from me and set her gently back down and she frowned, head tilting to the side to study me carefully.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked.

  “I need you to pack your things. I’ve asked for a new ranger to replace you.”

  “What?” she asked, brow furrowing in confusion. “What are you talking about?”

  “I think it’s best for us—for me—if you left and didn’t come back,” I said, a knife digging deeper into my heart with every word.

  “Why?” she asked quietly in a small, pained voice.

  “I made a mistake the other night. Telling you that...I cared for you. I do, a little bit. I’m fond of you. But I don’t—I don’t love you, Sophie. I’m sorry that I lied to you.”

  Her bottom lip trembled as her eyes filled with tears.

  “You’re lying,” she hissed.

  “I’m not lying,” I said, choking on the words. “I made a huge mistake and now things would just be too weird and too uncomfortable. I need you to go—I don’t...want to see you again. I’m sorry.”

  “You said you loved me,” she gasped, as if her breath had left her. Tears streamed down her cheeks and I felt my own prickle at the corners of my eyes. I swallowed hard to keep from letting them brim over.

  “I’m sorry, I don’t. I don’t love anything. You know that.”

  “Please, Gabriel,” she said, sniffling. “Why are you doing this?”

  “You would walk around here with the impression that you mean more to me than you do. It would just be painful for both of us. You need to leave.”

  She stared up at my face, her lip quivering.

  “But I...love you,” she said in the tiniest voice, barely audible. I closed my eyes and shook my head.

  “Pack your things. I want you gone by the morning.”

  “Okay,” she said as I turned away. I heard her burst into a sob and I shifted, running as fast as I could, letting out a howl that pierced the air.

  Chapter 15: Camilla

  I knocked on the door impatiently, my fist banging ha
rd against the wood.

  “Hey,” Sam said, putting his hand on my arm. “Relax.”

  “Where the hell is he?” I asked, knocking on the door to Gabriel’s hut again, growing more frustrated when there was no answer.

  “You looking for Gabriel?” came a voice behind us. I turned to see Jackson standing there.

  “Yes, do you know where he is?” I asked.

  “He’s not going to be back for a while. I’m not sure where he went, exactly, but it seems he’s taking a break from this place.”

  “He’s taking a break?” Sam asked.

  “Yes,” Jackson said. “Uh—he sent Sophie away. She’s no longer the ranger here.”

  “Why?” I asked, feeling slightly relieved that she was gone and out of danger.

  “I don’t know. He didn’t really say. He just grabbed a bag and left, said he’d be back eventually.”

  “So he just abandoned his village,” I said to him.

  “He’s...losing Sophie—” he said. “That’s something he can’t handle.”

  “Then he shouldn’t have sent her away,” I said.

  “I agree, but there’s nothing we can do about it,” Jackson said. I sighed.

  “We have to do something about this faceless guy,” I said.

  “There’s no way we can do anything without Gabriel,” Sam said.

  “We can,” I snapped. “We don’t need him.”

  “I’ll help. We can bring Lily and Nathaniel. They’re our best hope for breaking out of the paralysis,” Jackson said.

  “It’s not enough. We need more.”

  I thought for a moment, sighing and blowing out a long breath of frustration.

  “I can get some people,” I said. “I’ll go to the caves.”

  “They’ll lock you up,” Sam protested.

  “They won’t. They’ll let me speak to the princess, at least. She has people—guards. Well-trained.”

  “I’m coming with you,” Sam said.

  “No,” I said. “Last time you went, the queen tried to hang you. I’m going alone.”