Pop!
The wolf jerked, falling to the side. He tried to stand, but his legs wobbled before he fell to the side. He growled, scratching at the ground with his front paws. Smoke and water shot from his nose. His eyelids blinked as if in slow motion.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered, not understanding why she felt so bad for the wolf. He wasn’t a werewolf, and he had no pack. Whatever he was, he wasn’t of this world, and he should mean nothing to her or her ecosphere.
The creature’s breathing slowed as the medication took effect. “Are you sure it’s enough?” she asked, staring at the size of the wolf’s fangs. Nothing like she’d ever seen before. Her heart plummeted to her stomach. This wolf most likely had killed Ralph. That meant he wasn’t worth saving.
Yet, she desperately needed to know how he fit into Coral’s vision.
“Let’s get him in the cabin and in the cage,” Chaz said, hovering over the beast’s body, Nico only five paces away. Drew raced off to go change back to his human form.
Cheryl dropped to her knees in front of the creature. With his fangs, unruly dark coat, and his sheer size, he looked like a monster right out of the human’s stupid movies about paranormal creatures. He was the kind of being that gave werewolves a bad name in the eyes of humans.
She reached her hand out to touch him, but he let out a puff of air and jerked. She yanked her hand back. “Are you three going to be able to bring this thing inside?”
Chaz set down a cloth with two wooden rails on the sides. “I’m more concerned he won’t fit through the front door.”
“That would suck.” She stood, brushing off her jeans. “I’ll be inside, waiting. Don’t take too long. We don’t know how long those tranquilizers will work on a thing that big.”
“Thanks for the reminder,” Nico mumbled.
She turned on her heels and practically raced through the barrier. Stepping inside, she ignored the rattling vase and started digging through some new material given to her by one of the Royals that had been locked in the vase with Ralph. They all knew where pieces of the puzzle had been hidden, but they didn’t know why or what any of it meant.
She was determined to find all the answers, even if it meant being locked up with a temperamental fairy and half-dead wolf.
3
“Are you sure you’re going to be okay?”
Cheryl understood Chaz’s concern. She had the same ones now that she was inside the cabin with the wolf and the damn vase that they had to contain in the oven after it went nuts when they caged the beast. Norse had tried to cover the wolf in dust. Cheryl didn’t think that was a good idea, considering her skin still stung from the last encounter she had with the magical dust, so Drew stepped in and did his best to contain as much of the dust as possible.
“Just go.”
“We won’t be able to communicate for hours.” Chaz held her by the shoulders and stared into her eyes much like their father had done when they’d been children. Chaz had stepped into his role as Alpha easily, which made her chuckle. Growing up, that was the last thing that Chaz wanted.
“We need to find out what this wolf wants or needs.” She held up her hand seeing the tension in Chaz’s face. “He understood me out there. I saw it in his eyes.”
“There is nothing but death in his eyes,” Chaz mumbled. “The only reason I’m allowing this is because Coral has had visions, and none of the outcomes show you dead.”
“I’ll see you in a few hours.” She shoved Chaz out onto the patio. “I’m ready, Coral.” She waved to her future sister-in-law before slamming the door shut.
She coughed. “We are going to have to do something about your smell.” She made her way into the kitchen. A good hot mug of tea to stick under her nose for a bit would ease her stomach as well as the stench emulating from the wolf.
A darkness filled the windows as the protective magic circled the house, sealing them in.
And everyone else out.
Cheryl palmed the hot mug as she stood ten feet from the cage. According to one of the witches from the Coven of the Raindrops, nothing could break or bend the bars.
Nothing, except the magic of the King of the Royal Fairies. Right now, that was her brother, and he had no fairy powers. He also balked at being their king. He’d accepted the role because he had no choice.
“How long are you going to sleep?” she asked softly, not really wanting to wake the animal.
His mouth opened, and his tongue darted out, smacking over his large snout. He grunted, snarled, and sneezed. His thick lashes blinked like a hummingbird’s wings. The sound of metal hitting the tile floor clamored in her ears. She glanced over her shoulder. The pot that had been on the stovetop was now on the floor. The oven door shook, popping open an inch and then slamming shut.
“Norse. You either need to tell me what the hell you want or shut up.” She ran a hand through her long, dark hair and turned.
She let out a bloodcurdling scream. The hot liquid in her mug splashed against her clothing. The ceramic cup hit the floor and shattered into a million pieces.
“You’re awake.” She swallowed, taking a couple of steps backward as she stared into the wolf’s bloodshot eyes.
He growled, showing his teeth, which were longer than her fingers.
“I’d be pissed too.” Growing up, her father had always told her to hide her fear as best she could. Other animals and paranormal creatures would sense it. Hell, even her human mother sensed whenever she’d been scared.
The beast stuck
