The Wolf Slayer: Healing Blood, page 1
The Wolf Slayer
Healing Blood
By
Tanja Longoria
Copyright © 2021 Tanja Longoria
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 9798462092244
Imprint: Independently Published
The Gift
Four Paws
Sharing A Secret
A Special Night
Stone Age
Uncertainty
An Alphas Command
Seeing Ones Future
Meeting His Wolf
Asking For Forgiveness
A New Chapter In Life
A Warrior Rises
His Love And Saviour
“I accept”
Witchcraft And Corrupted Souls
Merging Souls
A New Beginning
Ayla, Luna, Lelou, Waya or Silver
No Peaceful Solution
“A Dead Alpha Is No Use To His Warriors”
Piercing A Heart
A Great Sacrifice
Epilogue
I want to thank my husband Gene for giving me the time, space, and encouragement to create this amazing book.
Chapter One
The Gift
Niev Snow was deep in her thoughts as she was driving down a dark, curvy road back home. She had spent the last two days camping in the woods far away from everything and everyone. Now she was tiered and hungry, but she had been too afraid to stop at the diner that she had past a few miles back. Too afraid for two reasons; her car, Berta as she called it, would most likely not start up again if she stopped and second, she was too afraid people would see her like this. She had done her best to wash off all her blood before heading back home but she knew she had not been able to clean off all of it. She cringed as she remembered all the things she had done to herself.
A loud noise and a flashing light brought her back to the here and now. Her check engine light flashed like a bad omen and Berta slowed down and would not speed up again. She let out a frustrated sound and tears ran down her cheeks, “Why now, Berta?”
Thankfully, Berta made it to the next gas station. She creeped into the parking lot, where with a loud noise Berta’s engine died. Niev had known before going on this trip that Berta was close to breaking down, but she had hoped she would survive for one last trip. She took the keys out of the ignition and turned around to fetch her backpack and hoodie from the back seat. She pulled the hood deep in her face, to cover her hair and face, and got out of the car. She was not eager to see people or even let anyone see her like this. She was praying that the gas station was empty.
As she walked over to the little gas station store, she noticed a mechanic shop hidden away in the far back of the parking lot. It looked a little old but well taken care of, unfortunately the shop seemed closed. She sighed annoyed and opened the door to the store.
She was in luck, the store was empty, only the cashier was sitting behind the counter facing a TV, hanging high up in the corner. As she was walking down the aisles, it was hard to decide what she wanted to get. She was hungry but had no appetite. The past few days she had barely eaten anything at all. She grabbed a water bottle and a coke from the refrigerators in the back of the store and kept walking through the aisles and tried to find something she wanted to eat.
She was trying to decide between a sweet or salty snack, when she heard the doorbell ring. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a tall man wearing a black leather jacket walk in. She was lingering in the back of the store hoping the man would leave quickly. She decided on both salty and sweet and grabbed a bag of peach rings and a bag of pretzels. She turned to the next aisle and heard the man start up a conversation with the cashier. Something in his voice seemed familiar. The conversation seemed to be a long lasting one as they both seemed to be old friends. Not wanting to draw unwanted attention to herself by lingering even more she made her way to the front of the store. She kept her head down and stepped towards the counter, both men were standing to the far end of the counter. She placed her items on the counter by the cash register.
The cashier looked up and smiled at her. He was an older man with grey hair and a friendly, wrinkly face. According to his name tag on his chest his name was Cliff, “I am sorry for keeping you waiting, my dear,” he came over and started to ring up all her items.
Niev’s gaze fell on the tall man with the leather jacket. She knew right away why his voice had sounded familiar; she had seen him before. Her mind flashed back to a few weeks ago, to the night that had changed her life. That night she had stopped at a corner store on her way home from work. She had craved chocolate all day and since it had been her payday, she had wanted to treat herself. She had stepped in the store and had grabbed her chocolate. While standing in front of the cash registry she had been digging through her backpack in search for her wallet.
‘I got it, don’t worry beautiful,’ a deep male voice had said to her.
She had looked up at the man who had been standing behind her. He had been handsome, tall, and had been wearing a black leather jacket with jeans and dark dirty boots.
‘No don’t worry, save it for a rainy day,’ she had told him and had paid for her chocolate herself.
Niev was pulled back to the present by Cliff’s friendly voice, “That’ll be 10dollars and 65cents, my dear.”
“Yes of course,” she handed him 15 dollars, “Can you tell me when the mechanic next door opens again?”
“Mr. Jackson will be back in the morning around eight o’clock.”
“Thank you,” he handed her change, but she gave him a warm smile and shook her head, “Keep the change,” she grabbed her things and rushed out of the store towards her car. She was digging in her backpack for her car keys and was hoping Berta would turn back on. If not, she would have to spend the night in her car and hope the mechanic would be able to help her in the morning.
“Do you need some help there?” The close voice startled her, she had not heard anyone walk up behind her, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”
She turned around and saw the tall man from inside the store walk up to her, “No worries, I got it. Berta is just stubborn with me today.”
“Do you always turn down a helping hand?” He didn’t say it in a bad way, he rather smiled at her while saying it.
“Just the ones I don’t know.”
“Well, I am Blake Timber,” and he held out his hand.
Something deep within her told her she could trust him and without even thinking about it she took his hand and shook it, “Niev Snow.”
“Pop the hood, let’s see why she is so stubborn today,” she popped the hood, and watched him as he leaned over Berta’s engine. She truly hoped he would be able to fix her and that she did not have to spend the night out her until the mechanic returned.
He asked her a few times to try and start Berta up and used his phone as a flashlight. As she was watching him, her thoughts returned to the night she first met him, which was the same night her life had taken a sharp turn.
After she had left the corner store and had gone home. Nothing had been out of the ordinary, it had been a night like any other. She had gotten home and had seen that Jason, her roommate, had left for the evening so she had had the apartment to herself. She had turned up the music and had put her dinner in the oven. She had cleaned up the living room because she always had trouble keeping her stuff in her room and always had everything spread everywhere. Then she had gone on to clean the dirty dishes. She had washed plates, cups and pans and then had stuck her hand in the bubbly, hot water to grab the cutlery. That’s when she had felt a sharp pain that had radiated straight up her arm. She had pulled out her hand from the water to see that a sharp knife had lodged itself in her palm.
Without even thinking about it she had pulled the knife out and blood had poured all over the sink and countertop. In her panic she had grabbed a towel and had wrapped her hand with it and had apply pressure to the wound. She had felt so stupid, first aid rule number one was to never pull out anything. She had run into the bathroom, leaving a trail of blood behind, to grab her first aid kit and bandages. She had unwrapped the towel from her hand, with a bandage in her mouth ready to roll it around her hand as fast as possible. To her surprise there had been no wound, no gushing blood, her palm had looked as if nothing had happened. All of it had disappeared.
“Did you hear what I said?” Blake’s deep voice pulled her out of her thoughts back to the present. His head popped around the hood with an amused look on his face.
She hadn’t heard a word he had said, while thinking about her past. She gave him an apologetic look, “No, I am sorry.”
He started to explain what was wrong with Berta and went far too much into detail for her to know or even understand what he was talking about. All that she understood was that he was not able to help and fix Berta. She sighed, she just wanted to be home already, in her bed and getting back to her normal life, “Thank you for trying though.”
“Do you have anywhere to stay tonight?” She turned her head and looked at the backseats of her car. He raised an eyebrow, “That does not look comfortable.”
She shrug her shoulders, “Its only for a few hours, I’ll be fine.”
He did not seem thrilled about her sleeping in her car, “Cliff will be closing his shop soon and you would be out her all by yourself.”
To her own surprise she was not scared being out here all by herself. After spending a night out in the middle of t
he woods spending a night on Berta’s backseats didn’t seem too bad. Blake closed the hood and looked at her with gorgeous chocolate brown eyes. He was very handsome, his face was framed by black, long, curly hair and his features were edgy and rough.
“Grab your things, you’ll stay with me for the night,” he was not asking her, rather letting her know what would happen.
Again, she felt something deep within her that urged her to go with him. A feeling that she had never felt before, something that she could not explain. The feeling made it hard to resist him. She knew following a stranger into the unknown was stupid. At the same time, the tugging within her became stronger and another thought arose within her. Even if she could not trust him, he would not be able to hurt her. The worst thing a person could do to another human was to kill them and she knew he would not be able to do that to her. What ever he could possibly do to her, if he were to be an evil person, she knew she would survive it.
She felt his gaze on her as she was trying to figure out what to do, “What if I said no?”
His face was a mixture of emotions as he was trying to figure out what she was thinking, “Do I look like I take no for an answer?”
Instead of answering him she turned and grabbed her backpack, wallet, and keys. After closing Berta’s door and locking her up she faced him in anticipation of his next move. He seemed baffled by her response and did not move. It seemed as if he had prepared himself for her to fight him more and now it seemed as if he was not sure what to do. Seeing him so perplex amused her and she gave him a smirk, “Are we going or not? Because I can still change my mind if you’d prefer that.”
He smiled amused, “I prefer not having to fight you on this,” he started to walk towards the gas station, and she followed him.
“Do you live far from here?”
“Only fifteen minutes from here,” he turned around the corner and she could see where he was heading. He was walking towards an older style red motorcycle. She had expected something like this but having her suspicions confirmed made her excited.
He turned his head towards her, “Ever rode one before?”
She nodded and he looked surprised again, “A few years ago so it’s been a while.”
She watched as he sat on his bike and put the passenger paddles down. She waited till he was all set and swung herself behind him. He closed the zipper of his leather jacket and turned the key in the ignition. With a loud roar the bike awoke and Niev wrapped her arms around his waist. She could not explain it to herself, but it felt good being so close to him. Without thinking about it she put her hands in his jacket pockets and leaned her head against his broad shoulders. She had only ridden a bike once before while younger and being in her rebellious phase. Her parents would have never approved of it, so she had taken a ride with one of her friends.
Blake drove off and the nice summer breeze hit her face and she closed her eyes. Somehow sitting there holding on to Blake, a total stranger, cleared her mind and she was able to just enjoy the ride without having to worry about anything. It was strange she had never felt anything like this before.
She only opened her eyes when Blake slowed down, turned, and drove of the main road onto a small dirt road that led them through a dark forest. The thought of this being another stupid idea of hers crossed her mind and became stronger with each yard he drove deeper into the woods. If he wanted, he could drive her anywhere, and no one would ever be able to find her.
She took in her surroundings as he drove towards a small light at the end of the road. As they came closer, she identified it as a porch light, hanging in front of a little log-cabin. Blake braked softly and parked the bike in front of the cabin. She waited for him to put both his feet on the ground before she let go of him and climbed off.
“Do you live here all alone?” She could not imagine anyone would want to live this secluded from civilization.
He nodded and walked to the front door. She followed him inside, a little surprised that he didn’t have to unlock the door. Yet again, no one would ever find this cabin if they didn’t know what they were looking for. By what she could see in the dark they were surrounded by trees and the only way out was the curvy dirt road.
“Does it not get lonely out here all by yourself?”
He shrug his shoulders, “Sometimes, but it’s been a nice change of pace for me,” with a welcoming gesture he pointed at his surrounding, “Make yourself at home while I’ll go and put some new sheets on the bed,” he took off his boots and hung up his jacket.
The cabin was small and very homey. To the right side was the living room, with a brown leather couch and armchair. The small living space was open to a small kitchen, which was to her left side. The walls of the cabin had not been paneled and exposed the tree trunks the cabin was built off. On the opposite side of the door was a hallway that led into the back of the house.
“Not planning on sleeping in it. I don’t mind taking the couch. So don’t even waste your time and energy on changing the sheets,” she felt uncomfortable, her clothes were as dirty as she felt and even though she was grateful that he let her stay the night, she just wanted to be home, so she could get out of these clothes and take shower.
“You are my guest and you only deserve the best so I will be taking the couch,” he seemed to have his mind set on this so she did not argue over it, “First door to the right is the bathroom,” he pointed at the door, “There should still be hot water and I’ll grab you some fresh towels and clothes,” without another word he walked down the hallway to the backroom, where she suspected the bedroom.
She walked a few steps further into the room and looked around. His home was very masculine, and she could tell he had decorated it. There was not much decor, and everything was very spartanic. Blake returned only a few moments later and handed her two towels, a t-shirt, a hoodie and some black joggers, “Throw your dirty clothes in the hallway. I’ll throw them in the washer for you and make sure they are dried till tomorrow morning,” he turned around and walked back down the hallway. She followed him into the hallway but instead of following him to the back of the cabin where the bedroom was, she opened the first door to the right and walked into the bathroom.
She locked the door behind her and quickly got out of her clothes. To be on the safe side she wrapped herself with one of the towels before unlocking the door and quickly dropping her dirty clothes in the hallway. She stepped into the bathtub and turned on the hot water, letting it pour over her body. She rested her chin on her chest and watched as the blood and dirt flowed into the drain.
As she watched the water run down her body her thoughts returned to the evening that had changed her whole outlook on her life. That evening she had stood in the bathroom, not knowing what she should think or do. She had been sure that her mind had played a trick on her, until she had walked into her hallway and had seen the drops of blood all over the floor. Seeing her own blood on the floor had confused her even more; she had seen the knife stab her palm and all the blood everywhere proved it. Yet, there was no sign of injury on her hand, no wound, not even a scrape.
A knock on the door pulled her back to the present and she opened her eyes.
“Are you okay?” Blakes voice seemed concerned and somehow that made her feel appreciated by him.
“Yes, I’ll be right out,” she looked down at her feet, now the water was clear as it ran down her body.
“Take your time,” and she could hear him walk away.
She quickly cleaned herself with his soap and shampoo and rinse off before turning off the water and stepping out of the bathtub. She grabbed the towels and dried herself off. She could not help but study each inch of her body. She had spent two days in the woods far away from any living soul. She had needed a space to be able to test her theory. Yesterday in the early morning she had parked Berta close to a hiking trail and had wandered deep into the woods. Far off the hiking trails, she had found a little clearing at the bottom of a cliff where she had set up her tent. That same day she had climbed halfway up the cliff to a stone ledge. She had stood on that edge, for many hours, until the sun had started to set.
She had been fighting with herself, weighing the pros and cons of her plan, but in the end, she had jumped off the cliff. The ground had come closer and closer, much faster than she had expected. She had regretted her decision instantly; all she had been able to think of was that she had not been ready to die. The pain of hitting the ground had made her black out.
