Eternal, page 17
Unless I can tell them the truth. Unless I can tell them what really happened.
“You’re making a mistake,” she mumbled, still trying to clear her throbbing head. “My brother set this whole thing up. He killed the—”
A gloved hand swung out of nowhere, slapping her in the face. The world went dim again, then came back only in muted colors as the men talked amongst themselves.
“Just be quick about it.” The second man stood with his back to her, anxiously peering out over the trees. “Once is enough. Then it’s my turn.”
...his turn?
The first man knelt right in front of her, stroking the side of her face, a wicked smile on his lips. “I’ll take my time, thank you very much. It isn’t often you get to see a princess, let alone—”
A blistering growl cut through the air. A growl so wild and savage, it pierced through Katerina’s bloodshot fog and roused her from the inevitable sleep.
“What was that?” the second man gasped, clutching the hilt of his blade. “Did you hear—”
Another growl and the men came together with a shout, standing back to back with weapons drawn as they looked out over the trees. Katerina’s eyes opened wide, but they seemed to have forgotten all about her. Whatever was coming, they would surely not lift a finger in her defense—not when she was already marked for death. Or for a fate much, much worse.
She tried desperately to scream, but her tongue was glued to the roof of her mouth. She tried to bring her knees up to her chest, but her legs were palsied and weak. In the end, she could only sit there. Staring in terror at the wilderness beyond. Waiting for whatever monster had made that blood-curdling sound to come and finish her off.
“I think it’s gone.” The man who’d slapped her across the face lowered his sword a fraction of an inch. “Maybe we scared it off—”
As if to answer, another growl echoed through the trees. This one almost seemed to be laughing. For a second, the entire clearing stood still. The air quivered and even the birds paused in their song. Then the leaves parted and out stepped the biggest wolf Katerina had ever seen.
She let out a quiet gasp, freezing perfectly still.
Massive didn’t even begin to cover it. The thing was enormous. Well over two hundred pounds of solid, weather-hardened muscle. Its deadly claws pawed aggressively into the ground, and even from where she sat Katerina could see two glistening rows of razor-sharp teeth.
Most people would have fainted. Those who didn’t would have run away. But in Katerina’s semi-concussed state, she could think of only one thing to say.
“...you’re beautiful.”
The men shot her a look of utter astonishment, and even the wolf turned its head to gaze her way. Its blue eyes locked onto hers as the wind rippled through its chocolate fur.
It might have been a strange thing to say, but it was undeniably true. There was a grace and power to the animal, even in stillness. A commanding sort of presence that brought the rest of the forest to its knees. She had never seen one so close before, not a live one anyway, and despite the fact that she was surely about to die she couldn’t help but stare. There was something so familiar about it, yet foreign at the same time. As if she’d spotted it once from the road without realizing. Seen its face without remembering when or why.
A metallic hiss sliced through the air, bringing her back to the present; the two soldiers advanced at the same time. While the beast was clearly as frightening as it sounded, they still outnumbered it two-to-one. And they still had their swords.
Katerina’s heart pounded in her chest as they closed in on the animal, raising those swords at the same time. She’d seen enough soldiers in her day to know that the men were well-trained, and she’d seen enough bloodshed not to want to see any more of it now.
Run! Tears rolled down her face as she stared at the beautiful wolf, wishing desperately she could make it understand. They’ll kill you—please run!
If she didn’t know better, she could have sworn the animal heard her. It turned its head again, meeting her eyes for a fleeting moment, before its shoulders fell with a frustrated sigh.
It was the sigh that caught Katerina’s attention. It was the sigh that brought her back to life.
“Dylan?”
Before anyone had a chance to reply, the forest sprang into action. One second, the wolf was standing in the clearing. Deceptively still. Facing off against the two men. The next, it was flying through the air, moving at a near blinding speed as it hurled its body straight at Katerina’s attackers.
She let out a scream as the glint of two swords flashed through the air, clashing together with a sickening clang. There was a splash of blood, followed by a high-pitched scream. But it was a human scream. Not a wolf’s. The man who’d been standing guard in front of her fell to his knees, dropping his sword and clutching his savaged shoulder as blood streamed over his fingers. His friend darted forward to help him, but by that time it was too late.
There was a flash of dark fur, followed by another stricken cry. A cry that cut off in a gurgle of blood as the wolf sank its teeth deep into the man’s throat.
“Thomas!”
The first man—the one who’d slapped her, the one who proudly insisted upon taking his time—abandoned form altogether and ran full-speed towards the animal. It was a bold strategy, but it proved to be a fatal mistake. He was expecting the wolf to act like a wolf. He was expecting it to either run off in surprise or fiercely protect its kill. But the wolf did neither of these things. As the man sprinted towards it, it sprinted at lightning speed right back towards the man.
They met in the center of the clearing with a sickening clash. Metal on bone. Teeth against blade. For a split second, they were moving too fast for Katerina to see what had happened. Then a crimson spray rained across the leaves.
She pulled in a breathless gasp, peering through the cracks in her fingers to see which one had come out on top. She knew who she should be hoping for, but when the dust finally cleared her heart warmed at the very sight of the wolf.
It was standing atop the man’s chest, its sharp claws buried deep in his flesh. There was a streak of blood across its nose, but it didn’t seem to notice. It had eyes only for the princess.
She froze very still as they locked eyes, staring across the bloody clearing. For a moment, neither of them moved. Then, without ever breaking her gaze, the wolf leapt off the man’s broken body, buried its teeth in his shoulder, and dragged him back off into the trees.
What happened next was something Katerina would never forget. Something she swore she’d remember for as long as she lived. She couldn’t see it, but she could hear it well enough. The snap of every breaking bone. The tear of every piece of skin. The pitiful screams that faded, then eventually died—replaced only with the low, rumbling growls of the wolf.
It didn’t take very long. That’s the thing that struck her most. It didn’t take long for men to die. When it was finished the wolf walked back into the clearing, its chocolate fur dripping with a fresh layer of crimson blood.
She should have been afraid, but she wasn’t. She should have been trying to run, but all she did was hold out her hand. The wolf stared at it for a moment before bowing its head with an unmistakable sigh and walking slowly across the clearing.
It came to a stop a few feet away, just beyond the reach of her fingers. She tried to stretch another inch more, but it was no use. In the end, she merely stared up into its eyes.
“Please?”
It waited for a moment. Watching. Thinking. Debating. Then it took a step closer.
Katerina’s face lit up with a wondrous smile as her fingertips grazed the soft waves of chocolate fur. She moved cautiously at first, then with unrestrained delight. Burying her hands in the sides of its neck. Feeling the strong muscles beneath the glossy coat of fur. Letting its smoky, woodsy scent wash over her as she moved herself up higher and reached for its face.
But at that point the wolf pulled back, eyeing her hand uncertainly. She froze perfectly still, not daring to move, tilting her head with a little smile.
“Please?” she asked again. “I promise I won’t hurt you.”
Hurt YOU?
In hindsight, it seemed like a very stupid thing to say. The wolf apparently agreed, because it actually rolled its eyes before taking a step closer. As she hesitantly reached up between them, it lowered its giant head, pressing the side of its face against her palm.
It was unlike anything she’d ever felt before.
Her breath caught in her chest as she stared deep into its eyes. Blue eyes. Eyes the exact color of the morning sky. A sudden wave of emotion rushed over her, and without stopping to think she lifted to her knees and planted the softest kiss on its cheek.
“Dylan, is that you?”
The wolf met her eyes for the briefest moment before dropping its head with yet another frustrated sigh. A sigh that Katerina had heard many times before. A sigh that promised a furious lecture soon to come.
Her entire face warmed as she shakily pushed to her feet. The corners of her lips curved upward. “Dylan. I know it’s you.”
She nodded, the grin turning into a smile. Looks like I’m not the only one with a secret...
To Be Continued...
EVERLASTING... Coming February 2018
BOOK 2 OF THE QUEEN’S Alpha Series
When the crown prince puts a bounty on her head, Katerina and her gang of misfits find themselves facing trouble at every turn. It’s a race to get to the safe house in time, but will they pull together to work as a team or will their differences pull them apart?
Strengths and weaknesses are put to the test as Katerina is plunged headfirst into a magical world she never knew existed. Fiction becomes reality as the characters from her childhood fairytales come to life, bringing with them secrets she could never have imagined.
Her bloodline gives her the right to call herself their queen, but is the division between the royal family and the magical kingdom too great? How can she mend the damage of the past?
More importantly...can she be the one to unite her people?
The Queen’s Alpha Series
Eternal
Everlasting
Unceasing
Evermore
Forever
Boundless
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Did you love Eternal? Then you should read Never Look Back by W.J. May!
USA Today Bestselling author, W.J. May, brings you to a new level of fantasy. Fans of Underworld and paranormal worlds will love this story!
"The wise learn many things from their enemies."
My name's Atlanta Skolar, and I'm a huntress. No, not the vampire-slaying type, or the ever-brooding Winchester brothers from Supernatural. I live a relatively normal life—during the day at least. I go to school, have friends, and try my best to survive Uncle James' horrendous cooking.
However, the nights in the city of Calen are not always calm. There's a thin veil between our world and the world of monsters, the good and the bad. I'm one of the few who stands between the two. With the help of my uncle, who's taken me in since my parents' deaths, I spend the nights making sure the balance is maintained and that each side keeps to their respective places.
At least, that was until something rattled the cages and everything hit the fan. There's a new evil in town, an evil that's been here before, and it may be responsible for my parents' deaths. An evil that isn't satisfied with the balance. It'll do all it can to make sure darkness falls over Calen and the rest of the world once again.
Scary? That ain't the half of it.
It's particularly interested in me.
Why? No idea.
But it's my job as a huntress to make sure the evil is stopped, no matter what.
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