Contents

Title Page

Description

Copyright

Dedication

1 Driver's Ed

2 Head-on Collision

3 Detour

4 Incident Report

5 License and Registration

6 Valid Identification

7 Turning Signal

8 Witness Statement

9 Failure to Yield

10 Running on Empty

11 Right of Way

12 Totaled

13 Traffic Court

14 Sunday Drive

More Dakota

Before You Go

More DarksbaneBooks

Acknowledgements

Pronunciation Guide

About the Author

Driven

Auralight Codex: Dakota Shepherd #2.5

A novella

By Shei Darksbane

Dakota Shepherd never thought learning to drive could be such a pain. It seems like every truck she touches ends up dead, but Raelya kindly offers to teach her anyway. Her first lesson in a secluded lot seems to be going pretty well, until someone ends up dead there too.

A sleepless night. An untold tale. A deadly betrayal.

Dakota stumbles upon a long-held secret that could tear the pack apart. Tasked with settling a decades-old score, Dakota is driven to seek justice and set things to rights before an unforgivable crime goes unpunished forever.

Reading Order:

Awakened

Hunted
Driven

Blooded (Coming Soon!)

(And more to come!)

Copyright © 2015 by Shei Darksbane & Annathesa Nikola Darksbane.
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof
may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever
without the express written permission of the publisher
except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Printed in the United States of America.

First Printing, September 19, 2015

Darksbane Books
247 Macedonia Loop
Jasper, AL 35503-5959

DarksbaneBooks.com

This book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to real people and events are coincidence.

For Robert.

You guys figure out which one.

1

Driver's Ed

After wrecking two trucks in the past month, you’d think I’d have learned my lesson. You’d have been wrong. Additionally, considering that neither of the trucks in question had belonged to me, you’d think people would have stopped letting me near their trucks by now. You’d have been wrong again.

Raelya parked her little truck in the empty parking lot, a deserted place where a hiking trail-head used to be. But now that this side of the mountain was part of a wildlife reserve, the spot was abandoned and secluded. Perfect for our purposes. Raelya turned to face me, pretty blue eyes sparkling mischievously. “So, here we are. Are you ready?”

“If I say I’m not, will you just go on driving me around forever?”

Raelya put on a show of thinking about it, then tapped my nose. “Ah, no.”

“But Raelya,” I whined, drawing out the vowels in her name, “driving is scary.”

Raelya shook her head, her golden braids dancing over her fair shoulders as she popped her door open and slid out of the driver’s seat. “Perhaps a time will come when you need to drive yourself. You would rather have a better lesson than the incident with Jack, yes?” She tugged her sky-blue tank top down over the top of her cut-off denim shorts.

I sighed. “Okay, you’ve got me there.” Frantically backing a truck down the driveway while being chased by a werewolf bent on one’s blood was no replacement for actual driving lessons.

Raelya smiled at me. “You will be fine, Dakota. I will be right here with you.”

Raelya’s smile warmed my heart. She was my packmate, my best friend, and as far as my wolf was concerned, she belonged by my side. She always made me feel safer and happier. I slid over into the driver’s seat, putting my hands on the steering wheel. “All right, all right. There. You happy now?”

Raelya nodded and closed the door, trotted around to the passenger side, and slid into the truck beside me. “We will take it slowly. Start by putting your foot on the brake.”

“Hold on! Don’t rush me.” I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, then opened my eyes and started adjusting my mirrors. As I nudged the rear-view mirror significantly downward to suit my much-shorter-than-Raelya height, I peered into my own light golden-brown eyes and sighed.

I was nervous about driving. I was twenty-eight and had never learned how to drive like a normal person because of some blackouts I’d had as a teen. Living in Knoxville near the University, I’d managed to get by without driving for over a decade, but now that I lived in the mountains of Gatlinburg with my pack, I’d decided that it was time to learn.

I brushed my short brown hair back from my face and pulled on a pair of lightly-tinted sunglasses. “All right. Let’s do this,” I whispered to myself, though I knew my sharp-eared packmate would hear me.

I put my hands on the wheel at two-and-ten, just as Raelya had taught me, then looked down at the pedals near my feet. “Okay. Which one is the brake?”

Raelya raised an eyebrow at me. “I thought Jack had taught you that much already.”

I stuck my tongue out at her, put my foot on the brake, and pulled the gear-shifter-stick-thingy until the truck was in drive-forward-mode. Raelya nodded her approval. “Good. Now take your foot off the brake and put it onto the gas pedal, slowly.”

I did as Raelya instructed, easing my foot off the brake and onto the gas. The truck jolted forward, startling me. I reacted by snapping the brake back to the floor. Raelya steadied herself with an arm and smirked at me. “Here we go.” She shook her head.

Over the next hour, Raelya taught me all the basics. I learned that the brake and the gas were to be operated with the same foot, never simultaneously, and that the gear-shifter-stick-thingy was called the gearstick or shifter. I didn’t have to ask which term was preferable to use around werewolves. I learned how to use the blinkers, the parking brake, and the windshield wipers, how to shift gears safely, and never to mess with the radio or check my phone while driving.

The sun set on our practice and Raelya instructed me to turn on the headlights. The bright lights were blinding at first, reflecting off the pavement, but I blinked a few times and my eyes adjusted quickly. “One of the benefits of being a werewolf is that you have excellent night vision. However, that can also be a weakness. Other cars passing with their high beams on will blind you easily. You have to learn to tilt your head enough to avoid them without looking away from the road.”

“Can’t I just eat any cars that blind me?” I made “claw-hands” and swiped at the air in front of me playfully.

Raelya snorted and shook her head. “No, Dakota. You can not eat them.”

“Pfft,” I teased. “What good is being a werewolf if you don’t even get to eat other cars for blinding you?”

Raelya snickered at me and thumped my shoulder softly. “Pay attention to the road. Now, take us once more around the lot, and we will park and swap for the night.”

I grinned over at her. “Isn’t that just how it goes? Say one word about eating other cars and the driving lesson is over, just like—”

Raelya’s eyes widened. “Dakota!”

I snapped my eyes forward just in time to see the man lit-up by my headlights as I slammed my foot onto the brake. The tires squealed so loudly in my ears, I winced at the sound. The truck wasn’t going that fast, but it was fast enough to be too late. I felt a bump as the tires went over something and the truck screamed to a stop.

Raelya and I were both out of the truck in a flash. I threw myself from the vehicle and wheeled around to seek out the man I’d just hit, smeared on the road, no doubt, dead to my stupidity. My heart beat loudly in my ears as I rushed behind the truck to see—

Nothing. There was no man on the ground, no streaks of blood trailing behind the truck. No one stood anywhere in the secluded, empty lot. Raelya and I were alone, gaping at the empty space behind the truck, staring into the night where no tragedy had befallen anyone.

2

Head-on Collision

“Where did he go?” I scanned the dimly-lit lot, but my eyes, no matter how enhanced from being a werewolf, detected no sign of the man I’d just run over. But my eyes weren’t the strongest of my senses. I ducked my head toward the ground and inhaled deeply, expecting to catch the scent of blood, death, and fear.

Nothing. I smelled asphalt, warm from the sunny day, oil and gasoline, the exhaust from the truck still idling behind me, and the spray of a tomcat somewhere nearby. There was no sign of the man I’d seen anywhere.

I glanced up at Raelya, baffled. “You saw him, right?”

Raelya nodded, eyes still wide. “I saw a man.”

I glanced around again, then dropped flat, peering under the truck, suddenly expecting to find the man’s body there instead. “He’s not under here. Where the hell did he—”

“Dakota!” I snapped my gaze up to Raelya to see her pointing at something behind me. I rolled to my feet as quickly as I could, whipping around to follow her gaze. My first thought was that she must have spotted the corpse, so I was surprised to find the man standing there not ten feet from us instead.

“What the…” I peered at the young man before me. He was tall, strongly-built, and handsome enough despite a roguish stubble. He wore a crew cut, and a long, darkish button-down shirt with broad, cuffed sleeves, and—no. It was dark enough for my eyes to miss the muted green at first, but as I focused on his form, I realized the man wore a U.S. Army uniform of an older style—not like, World War II old, but definitely not the latest military fashion. His kind eyes and lopsided smile were oddly familiar. He seemed to peer right back at me, all intact and perfectly unharmed, and definitely not run-over.

Then his eyes flicked to the side, settling on Raelya, and his face contorted instantaneously to rage. He barreled into her between one blink and the next, suddenly throwing himself at my packmate and staggering her back a step. Raelya threw her arms up to shove him off of her, her eyes full of confusion.

“Hey!” I threw myself at the man and tried to pull him off her, but ran into the same complication as Raelya had.

My hands went right through him.

The man threw himself at Raelya again, shoving her viciously and stumbling her back and away from me, then turned and pointed at the road behind me. He mouthed something, then turned and slammed into her again, this time knocking Raelya to the ground outright.

“Leave her alone!” I tried to grab him again, but his form put up no resistance. I changed plans, darted past him, and grabbed Raelya under the arms, hauling her to her feet, and twisted her out of the way, putting myself between my packmate and the strangely incorporeal man.

The man’s face twitched as he tilted his head to the side, then he was simply gone.

I blinked in surprise, glancing all around. “What the actual fuck?” I darted my gaze all around us, turning in a circle.

Raelya glanced around too, her eyes narrowed as she growled quietly, struggling to contain her wolf’s ire at being attacked. “Where did he go?”

“I don’t know. What the hell was he? Did you see an aura?”

“No. I—Ah!” Raelya was suddenly ripped apart from me, stumbling backward as the ground beneath our feet bucked upward with supernatural force, ripping the asphalt apart from below and sending chunks of black road flying, mostly at my packmate.

“Raelya!” I screamed as I dashed toward her. My momentum carried me forward for all of half a second before stopping dead as I tripped, slamming into the ground behind the truck. My foot had caught on something.

Or something had caught my foot. I dug my fingers into the torn pavement, scraping skin off as I struggled to pull myself back to my feet. Something tugged me sharply by the ankle, dragging me away from Raelya.

At the same time, Raelya leapt to her feet, casting about for a target and finding none. She had just enough time to decide that there was nothing to attack and turn back toward me when one of the concrete parking-spot markers tore itself free from the ground and launched itself at her chest.

The solid stone marker slammed into Raelya’s chest like an invisible giant’s club, throwing her back and to the ground with a resounding crack! Raelya’s startled cry turned into a sharp grunt as she landed hard.

I tugged determinedly at my foot, struggling to stand, then twisted onto my back, peering down to see what had caught my foot so I could dislodge it. Nothing. My leg simply laid against the pavement, my jeans crinkling around my ankle as if something were wrapped around them, only nothing was. At least, nothing I could see.

I edged back an inch, steadied my position, then threw myself forward, hoping to break the hold of whatever spell or trap had caught me. I fell back to the pavement, smacking my elbow sharply. I sucked in a sharp breath, pressing my hand to the ragged scrape that was already healing. Then, Raelya screamed.

I whipped my view around to find Raelya, but my packmate was not where I’d last seen her. The stone marker clattered to the pavement as I caught a blur of movement: Raelya’s form flying through the air. She landed in front of the truck, her head just visible to me from my place on the ground behind it. She rolled to the side, dazed, as the truck doors suddenly snapped shut and the engine revved, tires aligned with her head.

My heart turned to ice in my chest, and promptly sank into my stomach.

My wolf sent it right back, brimming with fire and rage.

“That’s it!” I screamed in fury as I opened my jeans, tearing them from my hips, and slipping my leg free of whatever invisible force was holding it. I darted along the length of the truck just as the tires spun and squealed. I dashed in front of the truck, scooped Raelya up into my arms, and leapt out of the way of the oncoming truck, cutting it so close the bumper clipped my knee hard.

I stumbled to the ground, catching Raelya on top of me, crying out at the pain that radiated through my leg and up into my hip.

The truck stopped, engine suddenly dead, and just like that, the world went silent around me.

Silent but for our breath and the cadence of our hearts, pounding out a steady rhythm to the tune of gratitude for being alive. Maybe it was time to go.

3

Detour

Raelya’s heart pounded in her chest, vibrating into my chest from where she lay atop me. I swept my eyes around the parking lot, searching, but knew I would find nothing. Whatever the strange, incorporeal man had been, he’d put my hackles up. I just hadn’t noticed until it was too late. Now, my hackles had settled back down, so to speak. So I knew whatever he was, he was gone.

“What the hell was that?” I held Raelya protectively against my chest as I pushed up, leaning on an elbow.

“I am no expert, but I know of few things that could do all of that and bear no aura.” She rolled off to the side of me and put an arm behind my back, helping me to sit up.

“Such as what? Ow!” I hissed and pressed a hand against the side of my knee.

Raelya frowned worriedly. “Are you all right?”

“I think that impact might have fractured something.” I leaned against Raelya, letting my leg lay still so it could regenerate easier. “I’ll be fine. What do you think it was?”

Raelya glanced up toward the truck. “A spirit of some kind, perhaps.”

“Like a nature spirit? Or what?” I followed her gaze to the recently-possessed vehicle.

“There are many kinds of spirits. Nature spirits, animal spirits, person spirits, and many more,” Raelya explained.

“But spirits don’t have auras?” I felt my knee creaking faintly as bone and ligament knitted back together inside.

“Some spirits can have an aura, but more importantly, it is possible for a spirit to lack an aura. Particularly if the spirit is—”

“Dead.” I glanced up at Raelya and she nodded.

“Right.”

“Then, the man was a ghost.”

Raelya nodded again and squeezed me gently. “Can you stand?”

I rubbed my hand against my knee again, then nodded when no pain shot into my hip. “Yeah, it’s just sore now.”

Raelya stood and pulled me to my feet. I found myself gripping my side as I stood. Raelya raised an eyebrow at me, then tugged my shirt upward to peer at the long, ugly scar that ran from just above my left hip, all the way up to just under my ribcage. The wound was mostly healed now, but still tender once in a while.

Older werewolves healed quickly, recovering from even major wounds in a matter of minutes to hours. But when the wounds were caused by silver, even older wolves would heal as slowly as any human, or maybe, just a little bit faster. And I was no older werewolf; I was as much a newb as they come.

As such, the near-fatal wound I’d taken from a silver-edged sword while battling a Skinwalker just a few weeks ago was still ailing me. Raelya touched at the scar gently, studying the wound for signs of re-opening or infection. “Is it hurting you?”

I shook my head. “Just a little tender from rolling around on the pavement,” I lied. I didn’t want Raelya fussing over me just now. In truth, the lower half of the wound was throbbing from all the rapid movements and tumbling about.

Raelya nodded once and dropped my shirt. “Elisa would skin you if you managed to open it up again.”

I grinned. “That’s one way to deter me from injuring myself: threaten to injure me worse.”

Raelya shook her head, amused, but her expression quickly sobered. “We should go.”

I nodded. “I got that feeling about the time the truck tried to kill you.” I glanced over at the truck. “Whatever was here isn’t here anymore. I can feel the lack of it, now that it’s gone. But man, that truck looks creepy right now.”

Raelya tucked her arm into my arm, leading me toward the vehicle. “My truck is not creepy. It is a very friendly little truck.”

“It didn’t look so friendly a few minutes ago when you were laying on the ground in front of it.”

Raelya tugged me toward the truck. “How would you like it if you were possessed and people blamed you for it?”

“Good point. But it’s still a little creepy.”

Raelya let me drag her to the side long enough to retrieve my pants, then ushered me into the truck, and took the driver’s seat. She turned the key and the engine rumbled to life, flooding the lot before us with light again. I closed my eyes against the brightness, leaning back in the seat. “So what do we do about this?”

Raelya put the truck into forward-driving-gear, and shrugged. “Pick a new place to practice?”

I shook my head. “Nah, we have to investigate.”

“I am not sure that is such a good idea, Dakota. That ghost clearly did not want us here.”

I blinked my eyes open and glanced over at her. “No, it just didn’t like you.”

Raelya tilted her head at me briefly. “It hurt you as badly as it hurt me, if not worse.”

I tried not to be annoyed by the fact that Raelya had gone down under a stone parking-space marker with less injury than I’d received from having my knee clipped by the truck. Sometimes I had to remind myself that Raelya was far older than she looked or seemed. “That’s just the thing. It didn’t seem to want to hurt me. I don’t think it even meant to. And when it actually did…”

Raelya blinked, glancing at me again as she braked before a stop sign. “That is when everything suddenly stopped.”

“So, you see? I have to look into this.”

“Because it was not a random event,” she continued for me.

I nodded. “The ghost was someone who knew me.”

Raelya stared at me for a long moment as we idled by the stop sign on a deserted mountain road. “Then what do we do?”

“Drive us to town, Rae.” I smiled as my idea started taking form. “We’re going to Walmart.”

4

Incident Report

Two hours later, Raelya pulled us back into the empty lot and parked the truck. “Are you sure you want to do this, Dakota?”

I nodded. “Definitely.”

“All right,” she sighed. “Then we will give it a try.”

I frowned. “Rae… I told you, I think it’d be safer if you stayed back.”

Raelya nodded. “It is true, it might be safer, but I am going with you, and that is final.”

I pouted at her. “But Rae… You know how much you mean to me. If something were to happen to you—”

Raelya rolled her eyes, opened the door, and got out, closing the door behind her. She peered at me through the window. “Are you coming?” She turned and strode off into the parking lot.

“I thought I was supposed to be the dominant wolf here,” I muttered, clutching my Walmart bag as I hopped out to chase after her. “Raelya…” I trotted over and fell into pace beside her. “The ghost obviously didn’t like you. Wouldn’t this be easier if I just did it alone?”

Raelya smirked. “Perhaps. But I believe you will find it difficult to play with your little toy alone.”

I pulled the rectangular box out of the Walmart bag, crumpling the bag up and stuffing it into my pocket. “Point, but still.”

“You can not get rid of me, so you may as well stop trying.”

I sighed and peeled the plastic wrapping off of the box. “You know I’m just trying to protect you from an angry ghost, right?”

Raelya nodded. “Mmhmm. But I am also interested in protecting you, so I am not going anywhere. There is no assurance that you are safe from the ghost either, after all.”

I plopped down on the pavement. “Fine. But if you get slimed, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

Raelya shook her head as she sat down across from me. I opened the box and pulled out the board and the little plastic pointer-thingy, assembling them between us. “Okay, you ready?”

Raelya nodded, reaching forward to place her fingertips on the plastic thingy with me.

I closed my eyes for a few seconds, focusing myself on the task ahead, then opened them and peered down at the board. “So, hey ghost. Are you here?”

The Ouija board regarded me impassively.

I waited. Nothing happened.

I frowned and pulled my fingers free from the plastic thingy, reaching over to grab the instructions from the box. “Let’s see… Place your fingers lightly on the planchette—is that what the little plastic thingy is called? Weird. Anyway, concentrate. Take turns asking questions… One question at a time…”

Raelya giggled. “Dakota… It is a game board made by a toy company.”

“It’s not just any board game. It’s a board game based on ancient divination techniques.” I dropped the instruction paper back into the box and returned my fingers to the planchette.

Raelya giggled again and the motion caused her fingertips to push the planchette every so slightly. “I am not saying that the board can not help us communicate with the ghost. I am only saying I do not believe reading the instructions is going to help you much.”

I stuck my tongue out at her, then refocused my attention on the board. “Hush, you. Concentrate.” The planchette wiggled to the side as Raelya struggled to repress her laughter. I sighed. “You’re moving it…”

Raelya grinned. “No, you are moving it!” She said, mocking the tone of the old commercials.

I grinned at that, helplessly amused despite myself. “All right, all right, very funny. Now do you think you could take this seriously for a minute?”

Raelya took a deep breath and sobered her expression. “I am sorry, Dakota. I will try.” Both of us steadied our fingers on the planchette, then peered down at the board.

“So, ghost? Are you there?” I watched the board for any sign of movement, but nothing happened. “Come on, ghost. If you have something to say, you’re gonna have to work with me.”

The planchette languished silently beneath our fingers.

I sighed. “Please? I don’t know why you appeared to me earlier and I don’t know what your problem with Raelya is, but if you’ll talk to me, I’ll try my best to sort things out.”

“Perhaps ‘ghost’ is not the best way to get his attention. It is possible he does not realize he is a ghost,” Raelya suggested helpfully.

“Hmm. That’s a good point.” I tried to think of something better to say. It wasn’t like I knew his name or anything, so my options were limited. “Spirit, are you there?”

The board did nothing.

“May I try?” Raelya asked.

I shrugged. “May as well.”

Raelya peered down at the board seriously. “Are you there, soldier?”

I smiled at Raelya in moderate awe of her cleverness. If the ghost did not know he was a ghost, then the best way to get his attention would be to address him as he might have been addressed in life. Raelya smiled back at me. As such, neither of us had eyes on the planchette when it suddenly tore itself out from under our fingers and smacked her in the face.

“Ow!” Raelya put a hand to her lip which suddenly welled with blood where it had split. For a second, wolfish rage welled in her eyes, tinting them vivid amber, before she smothered her fury, returning her eyes to their normal shade of blue.

I snatched the planchette from where it clattered onto the board. “Hey! If you want to talk, you’re going to have to behave,” I admonished the planchette firmly. I glared at it for a few seconds, then placed it back on the board and laid my fingers back atop it. Raelya lowered her fingers back to it cautiously while sucking at her lip.

I fixed the board with a stern expression. “Now, listen here, solider. I don’t know who you think you are, or where you come from, but around here, we treat ladies with respect. If you don’t clean up your act, we’re gonna have a problem, you and me.”

Raelya raised an eyebrow at me. I shrugged. “It worked with Jack.” Raelya huffed amusedly. I grinned at her, and as such, did not catch the first letter as the planchette suddenly zipped across the board, dragging our fingers along with it.

“Wait, wait! Too fast!” I made a frustrated sound as the planchette scraped to a halt. “Slow down. You’re going to have to say it slowly.”

The planchette slid across the board slowly, landing on “S”. I waited a few seconds, expecting it to move again, before prompting, “Uh huh…”

The planchette slid over to “H”.

“Go on…”

“E”.

“Okay, you don’t have to go that slowly.”

The planchette sped up a little, moving over to “N” then fluidly changing course to “E”. It did a little circle, returning to “E”, then moved on to “D” and then “S”.

“She needs…” Raelya supplied, helping me keep track since she knew I was dyslexic.

The planchette went on moving from letter to letter and Raelya read out the message. “To leave now.”

I frowned. “Sorry, soldier. Raelya’s my friend. She’s not going anywhere.” The planchette started moving a little quicker again, a little more frantically.

Raelya helpfully read the reply to me. “She is a monster.”

“That’s no way to talk to a lady, son!” I snapped in my best impression of a drill sergeant. “Now if you’ve got something to say to me, you’re gonna have to mind your manners.”

The planchette zipped around jerkily, spelling out a new message quicker than I could follow. “That’s too fast—”

“It is all right. I caught it,” Raelya said quickly. “It said, ‘Dakota, I am trying to save your life.’”

I blinked at the board. “You know my name?”

The planchette dragged our fingers to the word “Yes”.

“You are someone I know then!”

The planchette dragged our fingers over to “No”.

I was able to follow the planchette just fine as it spelled out the next word. “Alone.”

Then the planchette flung itself sharply down to “Goodbye”.

I frowned and glanced up at Raelya. “He’s not going to talk to me unless you leave.”

Raelya fixed me with a firm, disapproving expression. “I will not leave you alone.”

“I know. But you’re going to have to wait in the truck. I need to know who he is and what he wants.”

Raelya frowned. “I do not like this, Dakota.”

“I know. But there isn’t another way.” I stood up and offered her a hand.

“What if it is all a trap? What if he only wants to get you alone so he can hurt you?” Raelya took my hand and stood up.

I shook my head. “I’m pretty sure that isn’t the case. You’re the one he keeps going after.” I nudged the board with my foot. “Besides, you heard the man. He’s trying to save my life. I figure I want to hear what he has to say.”

Raelya sighed, squeezed my hand, then pulled me into a hug. “I will be just over there.”

I nodded. “I’ll be fine, Rae. Just give me a minute.”

Raelya bumped her forehead softly against mine, then turned and trotted over to the truck, leaving me alone in the dim-lit lot, alone with the ghost who claimed to want to save me.

5

License and Registration

I watched Raelya trot back over to the truck, then turned away, planning to call the ghost out, but that wasn’t necessary. I turned my back on my packmate and startled as I came face-to-face with the same man I’d encountered earlier.

He stood before me, an American soldier from some earlier decade I couldn’t place. The uniform he wore was some older style of U.S. Army gear, definitely not the modern variant, but hardly archaic. It could have come from any time in the past fifty years for all I knew. Unfortunately, I wasn’t familiar enough with the Armed Forces’ fashion to determine more than that.

I couldn’t help staring at the ghost a little. I’d never seen a ghost before, at least not that I knew of, but now I wasn’t so sure. He had seemed solid enough when he’d appeared in front of the truck. But then, I was kinda panicking about running into him at the time, so if he were less than solid, I might not have noticed.

Now that I had a chance to look him over, I noticed his form was semi-transparent, but it looked fairly solid wherever I focused on it. As I moved my eyes around, the parts of him I wasn’t directly focusing on seemed to shift and fade, almost like an aura. In fact, now that I thought about it, the effect reminded me distinctly of how an aura looked: more solid and real when you focused on it, and more fadey and indistinct when you weren’t staring right at it.

I also couldn’t help noticing the distinctly darker spot near the center of his torso. I’d first mistaken it for some kind of an emblem or maybe a piece of gear strapped to his chest, but as I took the time to really focus on it, the dark spot resolved itself into an ugly, jagged hole in his chest with a bloody mass of tissue battered and torn inside it.

It looked like one hell of an exit-wound.

I took a deep breath. “Okay. So, we’re alone. Why don’t you start by telling me who you are?”

The soldier quirked a smile and stared into my eyes quietly, making no move to speak.

“Oh, come on! You said you wanted to talk to me, so talk to me.”

The soldier opened his mouth to speak, but no sounds emerged.

“What? I can’t hear you.”

The soldier nodded.

“If you knew I can’t hear you, then why on Earth did you force me to abandon my Ouija board partner?”

The soldier’s spectral eyes hardened as he glanced past me toward the truck. He pointed at the truck, then gestured with both hands, cutting across the air sharply as if to say “don’t” or “no”.

I frowned. “Raelya is good people. I know you don’t like her, but she’s on my side, and I love her.”

The soldier met my eyes again and frowned.

“I’m not going to apologize for that. I love her, she loves me, she’s my pack.”

The soldier’s eyes widened. He peered at me closely, as if trying to see into me.

I tilted my head. “What? I thought you realized we were werewolves. Wasn’t that why you called her a monster?”

The soldier’s face fell and the expression he gave me was one of the saddest things I’d ever seen. He lowered his head slowly, as if paying respects. Then he glanced up and met my eyes, and as he did, his eyes caught in the light, reflecting back at me a glimmer of amber.

I furrowed my brow at that, leaned a little to get a better look at his eyes. There was something desperately familiar about the soldier’s eyes that I hadn’t been able to place. It was hard to see the color of them in the light, and the shape was partially obscured by the indistinct nature of his form, but I couldn’t shake the feeling of familiarity.

The soldier eyed me as I leaned closer, not wary, but observant. As I took a step closer to better see his face, he caught my eyes, and this time, my wolf stirred.

It was an odd feeling, like a fluttering instead of a push. I felt her take interest, as if she wanted to fight, or push back against him… But when she shoved herself out at him, she met no resistance. There was nothing to fight. But she had still wanted to.

Then the soldier tilted his head to the side, evoking a sense of calm in her.

And that’s when I realized who he was.

Or at least, who I thought he was. But there was one way to be sure. I reached out toward him, gesturing toward his throat.

The soldier lifted his chin as if asking what I wanted. I gestured at his throat again. “Show me who you are.”

The soldier gave me a wary expression, then cautiously lifted his hand to his throat, fingers plucking at the ball chain that slipped under his collars, holding a pair of dog tags that would doubtlessly contain the information I needed.

He pulled at the chain until the pair of metal tags slipped free, dangling in the air in front of his chest. I stepped forward, leaning in to peer at them.

Times like these, I really cursed myself for being dyslexic. Some combination of the lighting, the style of font, the engraving, the shadows, and the fact that the tags were semi-transparent made for a jumble of shapes my eyes simply could not read.

I grimaced in dismay. “Oh no… I can’t read it.”

The soldier frowned and dropped the tags into his hand, lifting them to peer at them. His eyes darted across them, then he turned them to show me again, pointing at the indistinguishable scribbles and indistinct, blurry shapes.

“Yeah, I know there’s something there, but I can’t… I’m sorry. I’m dyslexic. I just can’t make it out. If you’d let me get Raelya—”

The soldier vanished.

“Wait! Please?” I called out desperately, but the soldier was gone.

I sighed and started back toward the truck. I crossed the parking lot quickly, then climbed up into the passenger seat. Raelya watched me curiously. “Well? Did you learn who he is?”

I shook my head. “So close, but no go. I got him to show me his tags, but I couldn’t read them.”

I must have looked embarrassed, because Raelya slid over and wrapped her arms around me. “Oh, Dakota, there is no shame in this. You can not help that you have a disability.”

“I know. It was just frustrating.”

Raelya rubbed at my head just behind my ear, relaxing me significantly. I sighed and relaxed into her embrace. She kissed the top of my head. “So what do we do now?”

“Well, I didn’t find out who he was for sure, but I figured out who he might be.”

“Oh? Then how do we find out for certain?” she asked.

“I need you to drive me to Morristown. I have to talk to my Nan.”

Raelya nodded. “All right, then.” She kissed my hair again, and gave me a squeeze, then slid back over into the driver’s seat to get us underway. I straightened up in my seat and pulled out my phone to give Nan a call on the way. I wanted to be sure she’d still be up when I got there, since the drive to Morristown would take an hour and change, and my Nan was of the “Early to bed, early to rise” school of thought.

Nan answered in her thick Tennessee Southern accent. “Hello?”

“Nan, it’s me.”

“Dakota? You jus’ caught me, child. I was headin’ to bed,” she said.

“I’m sorry, Nan, but can you stay up a bit? I’m on my way to your house. There’s something I need to talk to you about.”

“What’s the matter, child? Are ya in trouble?”

I smiled. Nan and I still had issues to work out after she blocked out my memories and my wolf to protect me from the supernatural life. I couldn’t blame her all too much; she’d done it to protect me. But we still hadn’t had much time together since then, and I was still getting used to being on good terms again. I still had to remind myself sometimes that I’d decided not to be mad at her. “Nah, I’m fine, Nan. I just need your help figuring something out.”

“Well, all right. You hurry on, an’ I’ll be here. You hungry?”

I grinned. “Always.”

“Hmph. I figured. I’ll make us a bite to eat, then.”

“Thanks, Nan. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

We said goodbye and hung up. I nodded to Raelya in response to her questioning look, and we drove on to Knoxville.

6

Valid Identification

I could smell Nan’s cooking from the driveway as we parked. “Aww, yes!” I hopped out of the truck and hurried for the door.

Raelya followed me, jogging up behind. “Dakota? What is—” She lifted her chin and sniffed at the air. “Mm. Oh. That does smell good.”

I nodded. “Nan made my favorite dessert.” I grinned excitedly as I knocked on the screen door. Nan had left the inner door open, so I could see she wasn’t in the living room.

“Come on in, Dakota!” Nan shouted from the kitchen.

I opened the screen door and stepped inside. As I did, I felt the thick, heavy weight of a ward settle onto my shoulders, then slip over and around me as I stepped inside. Nan had invited me in through her obviously rather powerful wards, so I wouldn’t be affected by them. I glanced back at Raelya who hesitated just outside, then shouted back. “Raelya’s with me.”

“Come in, Raelya!” Nan added, appearing in the doorway to the kitchen. “And you, come here.” Nan hesitated just slightly, then held her arms out. I hesitated too. Nan and I had patched things up, but a part of me was still a little distrustful of her after what she did to me.

But if I wanted our relationship to heal, I had to give her a chance. I walked over and hugged her. “Heya, Nan. How’ve you been?”

Nan squeezed me tightly then straightened and gripped my shoulders. “Just fine, child. Just fine. How ‘bout yourself?” She looked me over, then grinned as she squeezed at my arms. “Huh! I see you’re finally puttin’ some meat on those skinny bones. Bein’ a werewolf will do that to ya mighty quick, won’t it?”

I smiled. “Seems so.” I sniffed. “Did you make fried chicken?”

Nan grinned at me. “Fried chicken, mac n’cheese, green beans, mashed taters, and cornbread with—”

“Baked apple fritters for dessert!” I hugged Nan again. Part of me wondered if this was Nan’s form of a peace offering; good food was an excellent way to apologize to a werewolf. “Gosh it’s been so long. When was the last time we made apple fritters together?”

Nan laughed. “I reckon it was a quite a spell. Had t’been before…”

I waved off the comment, not wanting to bring up the rocky situation in which Nan had blocked out my memories. “It’s been too long. Mmm. It smells great, Nan. Thanks for cooking for us.”

Nan grinned at me and gestured me toward the kitchen. “Well, I wouldn’t be much of a grammaw if I didn’t feed ya, would I? Come on and fix yourself a plate while it’s good an’ hot.” Nan led us into the kitchen where the dishes were laid out on the counters.

I grinned at Raelya as I picked up a plate and handed it to her. “Hey, you get to try my family’s cooking for a change.”

Raelya smiled. “Thank you for having me, miss—”

“Just call me ‘Nan’. Seems Dakota’s taken you to her side, so I reckon I may as well too.”

Raelya blinked, glanced at me briefly, then smiled at Nan. “Very well. Thank you, Nan.”

We filled our plates with Nan’s southern home cooking and settled in at the dining table. “This looks great, Nan. Thanks again.”

“Hush up and eat before it gets cold.”

“Yes ma’am!” I chirped happily before tucking into a chicken leg.

Raelya started into the meal as well, smiling politely as she bit into a forkful of mac n’cheese. She blinked in surprise, staring at the food on her plate, then quickly ate another bite. I grinned at her. “Nan’s a good cook.”

Raelya grinned at me. “That talent did not run in the family, eh?”

We all chuckled and Nan said, “Dakota’s a mess in the kitchen. I reckon you all know that by now.”

Raelya nodded. “We are doing what we can to remedy that.”

“Huh. Good luck,” Nan said approvingly. “So what’d you need to talk to me about in such a hurry?”

I frowned. “Right. I was wondering if we had a family photo album.”

Nan tilted her head. “Photo album? Of course. What’d you need it for?”

“I just want to look at it and see if I can figure out… Well, if I can confirm a suspicion I had.”

Nan fixed me with a considering stare, then nodded. “All right. I’ll get’em out for you.” She set her fork down and wiped her fingers on a napkin before standing and striding out of the room.

Raelya and I went on eating quietly for a few minutes until Nan returned with a box in hand. She set the box on the end of the table, opened it, then drew out a thick photo album. “There’s a few in here. Anything in particular?”

“Older ones probably.” I quickly finished up my food as Nan dug out the other albums and stacked them on the table beside me. “Thanks, Nan.”

I picked up an album and started flipping through it. There were really old pictures of my Nan and Gramps, and a lot of people I didn’t recognize, all in black and white or sepia, and some in faded color. I paged through the book until I spotted what I was looking for. I turned the album so Raelya could see it. “There. Do you see it?”

Raelya peered at the page. “Is that you as a naked baby?”

I blinked and flipped the book back around as my face caught on fire. I scanned the pictures, then pressed my lips into a tight line as Raelya started giggling. There was no picture of a baby on the pages I’d presented. “Oh, haha. Very funny.”

Raelya laughed as I turned the book back around to show her. “I could not resist.” She glanced over the pages again, then settled on one of the photos and tapped it. “That’s him.”

“Aha.” I laid the book flat. “I wanted to see if you’d pick out the same person without my input. That confirms it then.”

Nan leaned over to peer at the pictures on the page. “Confirms what?”

“Nan, who is this?” I tapped the picture of a young man in jeans and a t-shirt, smiling as he leaned against the old front porch railing.

“That’s your uncle, Robert. Shame you never met him. He’d a’loved that smart mouth of yours.”

I glanced at Raelya. “That’s who I thought he was.”

Raelya met my eyes and nodded. “If he was your uncle, then why was he trying to kill me?”

Nan frowned. “What’re you talkin’ about?”

“I don’t think he was trying to kill you. I think he was trying to get you away from me.” I glanced down at the picture and stared at it, taking in the young man’s features, the familiar eyes, the kind smile. “Remember, Raelya. Robert was a werewolf too. But Ralof was not his alpha. And the man who was?”

Raelya frowned. “Was a very bad man. And a very bad alpha.”

“One so bad, Ralof had to kill him.”

Raelya nodded slowly.

Nan crossed her arms. “Dakota? Would y’mind tellin’ me what’s goin’ on?”

I smiled wanly. “It’s about Uncle Robert. Turns out, I did get to meet him after all.”

7

Turning Signal

“The thing that keeps bugging me is, after all these years, why would Uncle Robert show up there, in an empty lot on the mountain?” I leaned forward and hung my elbows over the front seat of the truck, leaning in between Raelya and Nan. I’d taken the back seat to let Nan have the more comfortable seat. She might be a powerful Mentalist, but she still had a bad knee and achy hips. “I mean, why there and not around the Pack house or some such?”

Nan tilted her head as she twisted around to peer at me. “Werewolves have lived all over them mountains in the past century, Dakota.”

Raelya added, “And Ralof did not simply kill the previous Alpha and steal his house.” She smirked at me in the rear-view mirror briefly. “He settled into a house on the mountains, but it is not the same area as where the old Alpha lived.”

“Oh, well that makes sense. But I doubt the old Alpha lived in that empty lot,” I said.

“No, he did not,” Raelya confirmed.

“But that don’t mean the area wasn’t somehow important to the pack, or to Robert, for that matter,” Nan added. It occurred to me that, like Raelya, Nan was also much older than she looked, and since she was some kind of witch, she probably knew a lot more about ghosts and magic and stuff than either of us did.

“That’s true.” I sighed and rested my chin on my crossed arms. “So, how do we get him to come back out to talk to us?”

“Oh, he’ll come out. He’s got somethin’ t’say. He’s not gonna pass up a chance to be heard,” Nan said.

“Do you wanna borrow my Ouija board?” I grinned.

Nan hmph’d amusedly. “I reckon I’ll manage on my own.”

I picked up the board from beside me and wiggled it toward her. “Are you sure?”

Nan shook her head. “It’s a wonder you got him t’talk to you at all with that silly thing.”

I shrugged. “I didn’t know what else to do.”

“Well y’coulda called me, sooner,” Nan grumbled.

“I didn’t realize who he was until he appeared to me again after the board. It wasn’t the face, or the eyes, though I should have caught that. It was the way he moved. He moved like a wolf. He tilted his head just so, and that’s when I realized he was one of us, and then the rest all clicked together.”

“Well, at least ya figured it out. Now, we just gotta figure out what got him all up in arms,” Nan said quietly.

“What do you want me to do?” Raelya asked as she pulled us into the empty lot, parking the truck at the edge.

“Come with us, if you’re willin’. Seems you’re what drew him out before. Maybe he’ll come out again if you’re there with Dakota.”

Raelya nodded. “All right. I will come.”

I reached over and squeezed Raelya’s shoulder. “Are you sure? I mean, I don’t want you getting hurt over this.”

Raelya smiled at me and reached up to squeeze my hand. “I am a big girl, Dakota. I can take care of myself.” She popped the door open and slipped out. “Besides, I regenerate.” She closed the door.

“Not if a ghost runs your head over with a truck,” I mumbled quietly to myself. Nan and I got out of the truck and met Raelya at the front end of it.

“Well, here goes.” I reached out a hand to Raelya. She took my hand and we walked into the empty lot with Nan trailing behind us.

At first, it was all just peaceful and quiet. It was after midnight, so no one was on the roads nearby, and the weather was clear. A faint breeze tugged at the trees around the edges of the lot, but beyond that, everything was quiet and still. The lot had an empty, haunted quality at night. Like it had forgotten something important. It had a lonely, waiting quality. Like it was holding its breath.

I felt a shiver go down my spine as the breeze trailed its fingers across my shoulders. “Is it just me, or is that breeze a bit chillier than normal for this time of year?”

Raelya tilted her head. “What breeze?”

I stopped and turned my wide eyes to her for just a second before the wave of force slammed into me. Raelya was torn from my side as I stumbled back, feeling almost as if something had kicked off from me to push her harder.

“Let her go!” I screamed as I caught my balance and took off after her. “Raelya!”

An invisible force pulled my packmate across the empty lot as she struggled, gripping at her throat and twisting from side to side. She moved incredibly fast, out-distancing me in a matter of seconds. Then she reached the edge of the lot, and the unseen force sent her flying into the trees beyond.

“No!” I shouted, running after her. Raelya lay still for a few seconds before pushing herself up, slowly, shaking her head as if she were dazed. I sprinted for the trees as the chill breeze rushed back to me, and suddenly, my momentum reversed. I felt for an instant like I was weightless, caught in mid-air, hanging without gravity. Then the weight of a powerful supernatural force came crashing down on me, drawing me backward, away from the edge of the lot, and dragging me toward the center.

My feet struggled to find purchase on the pavement below, but it was like my full weight had never fully re-settled. Touching my feet to the ground did nothing to slow my momentum, and even less to deter the ghost that had grabbed me. Distantly, I heard Raelya screaming my name. I clawed at the air around my chest and throat, hoping to connect with something, hoping to find anything I could actually affect. But there was nothing to grab, nothing to push away.

The momentum and the weightlessness suddenly stopped, and gravity vengeantly reasserted itself on me. I fell, landing flat on my back, and coughed out a puff of air as the impact took the wind out of me. I tried to catch my breath as I wondered what had suddenly convinced the ghost to let me go.

Then I spotted Nan standing to my side, hands held aloft, palms facing the sky. Her eyes were wide and fixed, staring at the space above me with focus and purpose. A tingly pressure in the air announced the magic she was working on the seemingly-empty air. “Robert, that’s enough. Now, you come on out and say your peace.”

A spike of freezing cold plunged through my gut as the ghost of Uncle Robert shimmered into view above me. I glanced down to find that his left leg intersected my mid-section and disappeared into it. I squeaked and rolled to the side, then to my feet. I patted my stomach frantically for a moment, then breathed out a sigh of relief as I found myself intact and all right as far as I could tell.

I glanced up to find both Nan and Robert staring at me like I was crazy. I shrugged, then snapped my head around in search of Raelya. I spotted her standing at the edge of the lot where Robert’s ghost had presumably thrown her. She didn’t seem hurt, just anxious and watchful. I lifted my hand in a wave to let her know I was all right and she returned the gesture. I let out another relieved sigh, then stepped up beside Nan to stare at uncle Robert. He turned his eyes back to Nan and gave her a lop-sided smile.

Nan’s eyes were shimmering wetly in the dim light. “Well, go on, Robbie. I can’t hold this spell all night. Y’had something to say, so say it while y’can.”

Robert’s voice was distant and echoey. Far away, like a memory, or more like a dream you almost remember. “Sorry, Mama. It’s just… hard.”

Nan nodded. “I know it is, son. But ain’t nothin’ worth doin’ that’s easy.”

Robert laughed and rubbed at the back of his neck. “Yes, ma’am.” He turned to me suddenly, his form simply facing me between one blink and the next. He fixed me with a serious stare. “They’re dangerous, little niece.”

“They’re my pack. They’re not going to hurt me.” I did my best to keep my voice level and calm. I didn’t want to spook him, no pun intended.

Robert frowned. “The werewolves are dangerous. Treacherous. You can’t trust them.” He turned his head sharply to glare at Raelya. “If you’re not willing to play to their games, they’ll turn on you the first chance they get.”

“Wait, what?” I blinked as I considered Robert’s words. As far as I knew, Robert had spent relatively little time with his pack before joining the army and shipping off to a war. From what his ghost was telling me now, however, it seemed like there was a little more to the story than any of us knew.

Nan obviously picked up on it too. “What’re ya sayin’, Robbie?” She seemed to suddenly leap to the same conclusion I was just coming to. “Are you tellin’ me the pack had something to do with your death?”

Robert flickered suddenly, blinking in and out of view sporadically, then solidified again. “Yes.” He vanished. Nan and I both glanced around but he reappeared a few seconds later, in the same spot. “Betrayed.”

I glanced at Nan, but she didn’t take her gaze off of Robert. Her eyes were hard, and her mouth was pressed into a hard, angry frown. I put a hand on her shoulder, and turned my attention back to Robert. “Can you tell us what happened?”

Robert stared at me for a moment, silent and unmoving, wispy and indistinct. Finally, he nodded.

Then suddenly, he flew into my face. His eyes met my eyes as his form flooded into the same space as my body, and a chilling cold filled me inside, drawing me down into the darkness with it.

8

Witness Statement

“Dakota! Dakota!” Something warm pressed into my side as a distant voice called out to me. “What is wrong with her?”

I knew that voice. I knew it like I knew my own. A soft, warm voice; one that lived in sunshine. Just hearing it was honey to my ears, soothing and sweet. She was mine. My packmate. My friend. The one I’d claimed. “Raelya…” I breathed her name and could practically feel her relief.

“She spoke! Dakota, please tell me you are all right?”

I groaned and lifted an arm to scrub at my eyes. “What…” I blinked my eyes open and peered up blearily. The sky above was dark, just as I’d left it. “What happened?”

Raelya let out a little relieved chuckle. “You worried me half to death! That is what happened!” She collapsed onto my chest and hugged me tightly. I gladly wrapped my arms around her and nuzzled her shoulder.

“Yeah, but what happened?” I started to sit up and Raelya gave me a hand.

“Robert jumped you, that’s what.” Nan peered down at me.

I blinked. “Jumped me? What do you—” It all came rushing back to me, everything Robert had shown me: the lies, the betrayal… I felt my wolf’s rage growing inside me, until it bubbled up into my chest and out of my throat in the form of a growl.

Raelya blinked and reached for my hand, gripping it to let me know she was there for me. The draw of her wolf helped to soothe mine. “Dakota, what is it? What did he do to you?”

I glanced between Raelya and Nan as my features settled into an angry, determined frown. “In the words of Richard Castle, ‘I think I know who the killer is.’”

9

Failure to Yield

It was Saturday night and the moon was almost full. Lucky. If it had been any other day of the week, any other time of the month, the pack would have been scattered all over the state, all busy with their own lives, and fully out of my immediate reach.

The core of the pack, those who always showed up for full moon hunts and other regular pack business were all in for the weekend as usual. A dozen extra wolves in the house, but only one dozen out of three. Again, lucky. Lucky the one I needed was among them.

But first, I had to talk to Ralof.

Raelya, Nan, and I slipped out of the truck and crossed the short path to the pack house. Nan paused a few steps away from the door. “I think I’ll wait out here ‘till you get him.” I glanced back to see her eying the air in front of her, likely assessing the strength of the pack house wards. I didn’t blame her for preferring to stay outside. Without Ralof inviting her in, the wards would weaken her supernatural abilities significantly. I had no idea what that might mean for Nan, but whatever it meant, she obviously preferred to avoid it.

Raelya caught my eyes. “I will wait with her on the side porch. Get Ralof.”

I nodded to Raelya once. She lead Nan around to the side of the house where the upper balcony formed a little covered porch below, where our little bench-swing would make a perfect place for Nan to sit and wait.

I unlocked the front door and slipped inside. It was late, but this matter would not wait for the dawn. Not while Robert’s ghost still trailed along in my wake, counting on me to find justice. Not while the man responsible for his death lay sleeping in the house I called home.

I glanced back to see Robert’s ghost hesitating just outside the door. He had been following me, mournful and worried-looking, and apparently unseen to anyone else since the moment he’d “jumped me” as Nan had put it. And apparently, he was back to not speaking because he hadn’t made a sound since then either. He could obviously do a lot of things, but I supposed, for some reason, he couldn’t speak without Nan’s magic.

And he obviously couldn’t enter the pack house; the wards were plenty strong enough to keep ghosts from entering. “Wait just a sec. I’ll be right back.” He said nothing, just stared at me.

I turned and jogged up the stairs, padded down the hall, and knocked on my Alpha’s door. I heard Ralof stir inside, then sniff the air. “Dakota? What is wrong?”

I leaned my forehead against the door, taking a deep breath. “I need you, Ralof.”

I heard the blankets shifting, the bed creaking faintly as Ralof climbed out of it. I heard Elisa rolling over, doubtlessly alert and listening, in case she was also needed. Ralof opened the door wearing only lounge pants. His hair was tied back loosely and slightly mussed. Ralof was pretty ripped for a lawyer. He reminded me a bit of Thor from the new Marvel movies, only thicker and wider, and a bit more rugged in the features. Tall, strawberry-blond-haired, fair-skinned, and strong enough to break a guy in half.

Ralof peered down at me with eyes alert and focused, seconds after waking. Geeze. I barely managed that after an hour plus coffee. See, this? This is why you’re the Alpha.

I suddenly noticed the tension in my shoulders. I was angry, but also a little scared. I was still so new to the pack. I didn’t want to stir things up. I didn’t want to cause any problems.

I didn’t want to make them hate me.

But Ralof was the Alpha for even better reasons than his super-human lack of need for coffee. I watched his eyes flick over me once, and that was all the assessment he needed. He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around me, drawing me tight to his chest. “Dakota…” He pressed his face down into the top of my head as I hugged him tightly. “Tell me.”

That hug comforted me on so many levels. Ralof was on my side. I wouldn’t lose my pack over this. Whatever happened, Ralof would do the right thing. I knew it.

I steadied myself, took a deep breath, then leaned back to look up into my Alpha’s eyes. “It’s kind of a long story, Ralof, but we have a problem. Will you come outside? Nan’s here with me. She’s waiting on the side porch with Raelya.”

Ralof nodded once, “Let me grab a shirt.” He slipped back inside, murmured a soft reply to Elisa’s wordless query, kissed her, then returned, pulling on a shirt. “All right, let’s go.” My wolf reacted to Ralof’s presence in the usual way, which meant I ended up following him down the hall and down the stairs instead of leading the way.

We stepped outside, then around to the side porch where Nan and Raelya sat, quietly chatting on the bench swing. I glanced behind me as Ralof and I approached, confirming, as I suspected, that Robert’s ghost was still following me. So far as I could tell, no one else had noticed his presence since he’d jumped me. Whatever that meant.

Ralof nodded once, politely, to my Nan. “Mrs. Shepherd.”

Nan snorted. “Tanner. I’m Dakota’s maternal grammaw.”

Ralof blinked then shook his head. “My apologies, it is late.” He glanced at me. “So, what is the problem?”

I crossed my arms. “It’s about my uncle Robert. I found out… something really unsettling.”

Ralof tilted his head in silent, wolfish query. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

“Robert’s ghost appeared to me earlier. It’s kind of a long story, but to keep it brief, he showed me some things about the past. Namely, how he died… And who caused it.”

Ralof raised one bushy eyebrow as his expression hardened with concern. “What?”

“Ralof, it was Amos. He killed my uncle. Well, not personally. I mean, not himself, with his own hands, but… he set him up. Amos sent Robert to his death.”

Ralof’s lips parted slightly in surprise. “Amos?” He glanced at Raelya, as if looking for confirmation.

Raelya nodded. “As far as I know, it is true. And the ghost did appear to her.”

Ralof turned to face me squarely. “Explain.”

I nodded, and started pacing. “Robert showed me some of what it was like with the old Alpha. The wolves he called his pack, they were mostly different from the ones Is know now. You know this.” Ralof nodded as I continued. I took a deep breath, steadying myself. “Amos was one of the few who was around back then.”

Ralof nodded again. “Jack, Amos, and Will. They, and a few others, were all remnants from the old pack.”

“And they all knew my uncle, but Amos, particularly, was his friend.”

Ralof frowned. “I thought you said Amos was responsible for his death?”

I nodded. “He was. But first, he was not only Robert’s packmate, but also his friend. His close friend. Maybe even his best friend. Or at least, that’s what Amos pretended to be. That’s what makes it a betrayal.”

I glanced nervously over my shoulder to see if Robert’s ghost was still standing there. He was. In fact, he was standing right behind me, explaining the slight chill to the air. “Robert first came into the pack at a young age, just as most werewolves would. Under the old Alpha, pack life was pretty rough. Older, stronger wolves were downright abusive to younger wolves, and that was just the way things were. So, when Amos took Robert under his wing, of course Robert was happy to have a friend. Of course he trusted him. And of course, that made him easy to deceive.”

I turned away from Robert’s ghost, shivering slightly at the cold, and paced some more. “You see, Amos had noticed something about Robert. Something useful to him. Something that made it worth his while to take the young wolf in and earn his trust.” I paused, turning to face Ralof as I held out a hand to Nan. Nan pulled an old photograph from her shirt pocket and handed it to me. I flipped it around to show Ralof.

Ralof took the photograph delicately and lifted it up for a closer look. “They could have been brothers.” He stared at the photo of Robert and Amos for a long moment before looking back up at me, his expression demanding further explanation.

I frowned sadly as I crossed my arms again. “Amos realized the resemblance between them was rather strong. Strong enough to fool the Templar, in fact.”

Ralof frowned sharply. “What did the Templar have to do with this?”

I nodded. “Amos had gotten himself into some trouble with them before finding his way to the Lower Appalachian pack. I don’t know that side of the story, but I do know they were hunting him specifically. He must have done something to get himself on their shit-list. And when Robert came along, Amos saw a way to get them off his back, once and for all.”

Ralof frowned. “Your uncle… He died in Vietnam.” Ralof turned his gaze back to Nan. “He was killed by Templar.”

Nan’s frown couldn’t have been any harder if it’d been chiseled in stone. She glanced away, blinking her teary eyes stubbornly. Ralof politely turned his eyes back to me.

I nodded. “Amos must have tipped the Templar off somehow. However he did it, the Templar hunted Robert down and killed him. And it wasn’t Robert’s name they called out when they showed up to challenge him.”

“They thought he was Amos.” Ralof crossed his arms.

I met his eyes sadly. “When Robert told Amos he was going off to war, shipping out from the States, Amos seized on the opportunity. Robert would be somewhere the Templar could reach him. And if they heard that someone they were hunting was within their reach, they’d go after him.”

“And if Amos was ‘dead’, they would no longer hunt him. Well, no more than the rest of us.” Ralof and I stared at each other for a long moment as the night wind tugged at my hair. But only mine.

After a long moment, Ralof nodded. “It makes sense, but do you have any proof?”

“I do,” Nan said with a voice like ice. “I can verify that Dakota saw these things when Robert’s ghost possessed her.”

Ralof nodded slowly. “I need no proof that Dakota speaks the truth, but some might see it as biased, coming from you. Aside from that, before I accuse one of my own of murder, what proof do we have that Robert’s ghost speaks truly?”

Nan’s expression went as icy as her voice. “Are you callin’ my boy a liar?” Nan snapped to her feet. “Ya’ll don’t know how ghosts work, do ya? My Robbie woudn’t still be here if there wasn’t a score to settle. If he’d died in the war or fightin’ Templar on the up an’ up, he’d a’moved on just like he ought! Ain’t nothin’ like murder an’ betrayal to guarantee a ghost stays behind.”

Ralof shook his head, raising his hands defensively. “No, ma’am, I meant no disrespect to the dead. And you are right. There would be no ghost without a crime. But if I am to seek justice in this matter, it would do to have all the evidence prepared to present to those who would defend him.”

I stepped over and put an arm around Nan’s shoulders. “Nan, it’s okay. Let Ralof handle this. He knows what he’s doing.”

Nan frowned and looked away. I looked up at Ralof. “I’ll make a couple of calls and see if I can dig up some further evidence for you. It may take a little while.”

Ralof nodded. “All right. In the meantime, I will go and get dressed properly. Raelya, would you get us something to eat?”

Raelya nodded. “Of course.”

“Good. Everyone to their task.” He glanced around at all of us. “And one way or another, we will settle this matter tonight.”

10

Running on Empty

Ralof and Raelya went back inside, leaving Nan and me on the side porch. I sat down on the bench swing next to Nan. “It’ll be all right. Ralof will do the right thing.”

Nan grunted. “We’ll see.”

But it was Robert’s ghost I’d been talking to. He smiled at me faintly, then glanced at the house with concern. His voice came to me as it had before, all distant and close at the same time. “I hope you’re right, little niece.”

I smiled at him quietly, then turned my attention to my phone. It was time to do a little investigating. I noticed it was nearly four in the morning as I hovered over the contact icon for Nita. I really hated to call and wake her again. I felt like I’d done that to her enough lately. It was only a few hours until dawn, and Nan looked as tired as I felt. Maybe we should all just go to bed and deal with this tomorrow.

I glanced back up at Robert’s ghost, staring at me, eyes all hopeful and hopeless.

This couldn’t wait. It had waited long enough.

But that didn’t mean I had to call Nita. I had other contacts. In fact, one of my friends in SII was a far better resource on matters concerning the Templar, and he’d made it clear I was welcome to call him any time.

So I paged through my contacts and dialed Sky Simms, head of Calgary SII.

The phone rang twice before he answered. Given Sky’s tendency to know when someone was about to call him, I figured that meant he’d been asleep. “Hello?”

“Sky. This is Dakota. Dakota Shepherd, remember— oh… wait, sorry, I—”

“It’s all right, Dakota. Happens all the time.” Sky was a gifted psychic, incredibly intelligent, and depending on who you asked, blessed or cursed with total recall. Which is to say, Sky remembered everything he perceived in perfect detail, forever. Personally, I voted cursed.

“Right. So, I was hoping you could help me out with something. I’m trying to find evidence that a certain person was once hunted and killed by the Templar. Being that you’re the head of the one SII office currently in cooperation with the Templar—”

“I understand. What’s the name?” I heard blankets rustling as Sky likely climbed out of bed.

“The name. Right. Crap.” I smacked my forehead as I realized that “Amos” wasn’t likely enough of a name to go off of. I didn’t even know his surname.

“Amos Ayers,” Nan supplied to my surprise.

I blinked at her and mouthed. “How do you know that?” Nan shook her head and waved at me dismissively. I eyed her suspiciously. I doubted Nan could read people’s minds through a ward, though I couldn’t put it past her. I didn’t know how else she could have known Amos’ name; as far as I knew, she hadn’t known Robert’s pack that well.

But right now, I had to focus on the task at hand. “Amos Ayers, a werewolf. They would have been after him some time back in the late 1960’s.”

“Hmm. No, I’m sorry. I don’t know that name,” Sky said. “I am less familiar with Templar Kill-lists from that far back than I am with the more recent ones.” Which, from what I understood of Sky-speak, meant he’d never laid eyes on them.

“Aww. All right. I appreciate it anyway, and sorry for waking you—”

“I didn’t say I couldn’t help at all, Dakota. I just can’t answer your question off the top of my head. If the record in question had been from any time in the past decade, I likely could have.”

“Show off,” I teased.

“I get my kicks where I can,” Sky replied dryly. “But if you can wait a few minutes, I’ll see what I can come up with.”

“Thanks, Sky. I really appreciate it.”

“No problem. Just one thing before I get to work on that.”

“Sure. What is it?” I asked.

“Before I use my carefully-honed connections with the Templar to acquire this information for you, I’d like to know what it’s for. I’d prefer not to risk our tenuous alliance if at possible.”

I had to think about that for a second. I could simply tell Sky the whole truth, but that might put him in a bind. If Sky was working in cooperation with the Templar in Canada, he would likely have some agreements to share information where appropriate. I didn’t know what kind of arrangements he might have, and if I told him that Amos was still alive, he might have to tell them that. Which might mean that Templar would try to hunt him down. And that could put the pack in danger.

On the other hand, not telling him seemed rather unfair considering that I was asking a favor. Unless not telling him would be more of a favor to him than telling him would be.

Considering that I didn’t really know all that much about the situation with Calgary SII and the Templar, I figured I’d just tell him what he needed to know, hopefully save everyone some trouble, and trust that if he needed to know more than that, he’d ask.

“It shouldn’t be a problem. We’re just trying to figure out what happened to a pack member who was killed back then so we can put his family’s mind at ease. It’s inner pack business, and we’re not out for revenge on the Templar. Just putting the pieces together.”

Sky made a thoughtful sound. “At four in the morning?”

I laughed awkwardly. “Yeah, you know us werewolves, up with the moon and all that.”

“Right,” Sky said flatly. “But considering what I have seen of your character, I feel I can trust you on this. So I’ll let it slide that you’re obviously dodging around the edges of the truth.”

“Only trying to keep things simple for all involved,” I replied levelly.

“Let me see,” Sky murmured quietly.

I heard him tacking away at a keyboard. I leaned back and pushed off from the ground, setting the bench swing into motion. I must have startled Nan, because she gripped my arm and glared at me. I grinned and shrugged, then leaned my head back.

After a couple of minutes, Sky said, “Here. I found it. Amos Ayers, werewolf. He was killed in Vietnam near the end of the war, in a planned attack, after the Templar received a tip from one of their contacts revealing his troop’s movements in the local area.”

“Is there any information about why he was wanted in the first place?” I asked hopefully.

“Mm. The Templar don’t really keep that specific of records about every individual they want dead. Not unless it’s necessary in some way for the hunt. All it says here is ‘crimes against humanity’ which is basically Templar-code for just about anything they don’t feel requires a more specific entry.”

“So, ‘being born a supernatural’ basically, right?” It might have come out a little sharper than I’d intended, but neither I nor my wolf was happy about that fact at all.

“Well, these are older records, Dakota. It used to be just as you say. Some of the Templar still believe in the old ways, but they’re not all so bad, especially now. There’s a growing faction among the Templar who want to change the way things are done. That’s part of why we’re working together, you know? SII has a chance to help shape the future of the Templar. We’re trying to find common grounds to stand on so we can put an end to all these years of fighting. But none of that is going to change the past. And this happened decades ago, so it is what it is.”

I sighed. “I’m sorry, Sky. I’m still learning to control my werewolf-temper and—”

“And you were recently involved in an incident in which the Templar injured one of your packmates. I understand. Don’t worry about it. I just feel it is important to remind people that we are working with them up here for a reason and that good can actually come of it, you know? We must remain tolerant of one another if we are to succeed. Even if we don’t always agree.”

“I know. And you’re right,” I admitted.

“Now, is there anything else you need before I go?”

“Could you possibly email me a copy of that report?”

“Sure. And good luck with your investigation,” Sky said.

“Thanks, Sky. I owe you one. Well, another one.”

“Don’t worry about it.” We said goodbye and hung up.

I glanced at Nan. “So, I’m guessing you were listening in on all of that?”

Nan glanced over at me with tear-stained cheeks and glistening eyes. “Ain’t nothin’ bad, Dakota. I ain’t touched that noggin’ of yours. Thought-witches can enhance their own senses too.”

I softened my expression. “I— Okay, I did wonder, but that’s not what I meant.”

Nan’s lip quivered a bit as she nodded. “It’s true. That lyin’ bastard killed my Robbie! I could skin his dirty hide! I could—”

“Nan!” I caught her as she collapsed into my arms, weeping. “Calm down… it’s okay. We’ll bring him to justice. I believe in Ralof—”

“Yeah? Well, what if he don’t agree? What if he don’t see the truth? Them werewolves betrayed my Robbie before, they could—”

“Nan! No. They won’t. Those werewolves aren’t the same werewolves that hurt Uncle Robert. Those werewolves are gone. These werewolves are my family and they’ve been good to me. I believe in them. If one of those werewolves is still here… Ralof will do something about it.”

I held Nan as she cried quietly on the bench beside me. Robert’s ghost sat down on the other side of the swing and laid a hand on her shoulder. Nan lifted her hand and laid it on her own shoulder where he’d touched her, and we sat there for a few minutes, one broken little family, together in the cool, dark night.

11

Right of Way

Ralof and Raelya brought sandwiches and drinks to the side porch. We moved to the little patio table and chairs nearby to eat as we discussed the matter further. As we sat down together, Ralof caught my eyes. “So, any luck?”

I nodded. “I got in touch with Sky from Calgary SII. He was able to confirm that the Templar reported Amos Ayers killed in Vietnam at the time Robert was deployed in the area. He said he’d email me the report for proof.”

Ralof closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. I realized this had to be pretty hard for him. I may not be close to Jack and his friends, but Ralof didn’t have the same problems with them as I had. These men were part of Ralof’s pack. They were his brothers. All of them.

And one of them had betrayed his own packmate unto death.

Ralof could not let that stand.

He let his deep breath out slowly and opened his eyes. “That is rather compelling evidence, but I am still not sure it is enough.”

My jaw dropped open and for an instant, I stared at him in disbelief, then I found myself on my feet, my chair flipping over behind me as my hands slammed down on the table. “What? Ralof how can you—”

Nan was shouting too. “I knew you would take his side, you—”

Raelya frowned and reached a hand out to me, “Dakota—”

“Enough!” Ralof caught my eyes and I felt my wolf’s ire subdued. I dropped my head and took a deep breath, calming myself down. Even Nan fell silent at Ralof’s command. “I said it is not enough, not that it is settled. Sit down and we will discuss what we are going to do next.”

I nodded, then turned and picked up my chair. I settled back into it feeling completely sheepish. “I’m sorry,” I murmured softly.

Ralof chuckled once and shook his head. “You are hardly the first young, hot-headed werewolf I have had to deal with, Dakota. You are not even the only one in the pack right now, you know?”

I slumped further, but Raelya scooted her chair closer to mine and tucked her arm into my arm. I leaned against her a little for comfort, and it made everything a little easier.

Ralof continued, “It is understandable that your temper is still hard for you to control, but you must remember that we are pack. We are family. I am not going to let something so dire go unpunished. We simply need stronger proof, and I know how we can get it.”

I blinked as I looked up again. “You do?”

Ralof nodded, smiling cleverly. “You forget that I am a lawyer as well as an Alpha, hmm? I know a thing or two about getting people to confess their crimes.”

“Confess?” A sparkle of hope reignited in my chest. At the same time, I felt guilty for doubting Ralof, even for an instant. It reminded me that I needed focus harder on learning to control my temper. Werewolf stuff was hard.

“Mmhmm. If we can get him to admit to his wrong-doing, there will be no further proof needed. But we have to play this right, or he will catch on.”

“Okay, so what do we do?”

Ralof laid out his plan and we worked out the details together. It was going to be dangerous, mostly to me, but I was okay with that. This was the right thing to do. It was right to put Robert’s spirit to rest. It was right to give Nan justice for her son’s death.

I refused to let them down.

12

Totaled

By the time everyone was in place and ready to go, it was almost five in the morning. I waited just around the corner of the house, watching for Ralof to show up. My stomach was tight with anticipation and nervous energy. I knew exactly how stupid it was to confront an older, stronger werewolf in a way that would likely piss him off. It hadn’t been so long since Jack’s razor-sharp claws had shredded my hip. Not long enough for me to forget.

I heard the quiet swish of the back door opening and watched as Ralof and Jack trotted across the yard in wolf form. As soon as they made the tree line, they took off into the forest. According to the plan, Ralof would lead Jack into the woods and out of earshot so he could explain, then they would sneak back to watch the exchange. I was to wait a few minutes before confronting Amos to give them time to get into position.

As expected, Amos stepped outside a moment after the pack’s Alpha and Third had departed. I felt my wolf surge with rage at the sight of him. I took the opportunity to practice my restraint. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, held it for a few counts, then slowly let it out. I repeated the breathing exercise again before opening my eyes.

I had to repress a growl. As soon as I laid eyes on Amos again, my wolf’s temper returned. Ugh. Wolf stuff really was hard.

As I struggled with my emotional reactions, Amos stepped over to the fire pit and settled down onto one of the benches that surrounded it. He took the seat closest to my side of the fire pit, which meant his back was to me. That was good. It kept me from the temptation of staring at his face the whole time, picking out the details of his features that resembled Uncle Robert’s. That wouldn’t have been any good. Even Unawakened people can feel when someone is watching them that closely. With a werewolf, it would have been a dead give-away.

As such, I tucked myself back around the corner and closed my eyes, leaning quietly against the wall. Even so, I couldn’t get his face out of my mind. Amos wasn’t a friend of mine, but I knew him, and he was part of my pack. I’d been there the night one of his friends had nearly been killed by the Skinwalker. I’d seen the hurt and fear in his eyes. I knew he cared about people here.

Which made the betrayal of Robert all the worse. Did he look like that when he was close to Robert? Was his affection for his current friends also an act? How could any of us even know?

And what if it wasn’t an act?

I felt my stomach twist and I had to settle myself down and focus. I couldn’t afford to question my course at this point. If anyone was going to question things now, it had to be Ralof. Ralof knew what to do. He would keep a level head. He would make the right decision.

Right now, I needed to focus on something physical, something grounded. I needed to calm down. So I opened my eyes and focused on what I could see. I stared at the trees, the mountain, the sky. My eyes drifted over to Nan, resting with her arms crossed and her head lolling. She was so tired. I felt so sorry for her.

I met eyes with Raelya briefly, and that helped. She gave me a small, encouraging smile. She looked tired too, but was obviously alert and ready. Raelya was so good to me. I loved her so much, and I knew I’d do anything to protect her, just as she was willing to do for me.

Just as Robert had been willing to do for his pack. Just as Amos had promised to do for his.

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. I refused to let my barely-contained temper damage our chances of actually bringing Robert’s traitor to justice.

I settled my eyes on Robert’s ghost, standing there next to Nan, quiet and watchful and waiting. I studied his features, and saw the resemblance between us in his big, bright eyes. If his face had been a little rounder, and his hair a little longer, he could have passed for my brother. If he’d had a mustache and a few wrinkles around the eyes, he could have passed for Amos.

And if Amos had any honor, he could have been Robert’s brother.

My jaw started aching and I realized I’d been clenching my teeth. Well, that was an improvement at least.

I straightened up and peeked around the corner. Amos was still sitting on the bench, and I’d managed to kill a few minutes. It was time.

I took a deep breath, let it out slowly, then pushed off from the wall. I took one last look at Robert’s ghost, standing there, silently counting on me. I nodded to him once, and turned to round the corner.

I purposefully scraped my foot against the grass just hard enough to make a sound. Amos glanced up, spotted me, then nodded and looked away. We weren’t on bad terms personally, but he was one of Jack’s wolves, and that meant we weren’t friends.

I took a deep breath and reminded myself that I had a role to play. I focused on Amos again, letting that ire I’d suppressed bubble back to the surface, and stormed over to him. “Amos!”

Amos turned to look at me, and before either of us knew what was happening, I decked him.

Okay, maybe I should have suppressed the ire just a little bit more. Ralof was probably face-palming from his hiding place nearby. But what was done was done.

Amos scrambled to his feet and came up ready for a fight. “The hell’s your problem, runt?”

I whipped out the photograph from earlier and held it up. “It’s not my problem you should be worried about, traitor.” I slapped the photo down on the bench between us. “You’re the one who has a problem.”

Amos glanced down at the photo for a few seconds, then raised a seething glare to me. “Where the hell’d you get that?”

I narrowed my eyes at him. “Family photo album.” I watched as the recognition dawned on him. I must have looked familiar now that he realized the connection. “Lucy, you got some ‘splainin’ to do.”

I saw the wheels turning in Amos’ eyes for all of two seconds before he moved. One moment, I was standing there in front of him, all tough and standing tall and ready for a fight, then suddenly, I was hammered into the wall of the house, my back cracking painfully against the rough natural stone of the cabin’s chimney. Amos’ voice came low and rough. “Now you listen here, you little shit. What’s done is done. You hear? We don’t have to have a problem, you and me. We could all just walk away from this and leave the past in the past where it belongs.”

I inhaled sharply, gritting my teeth against the painful pressure Amos was putting on my chest. I met his eyes defiantly and grinned as irritatingly as possible. “Or what? You’ll sick the Templar on me too?”

“If that’s what it takes to shut your fucking mouth!” Amos drew his fist back, then sunk it into my gut, hard.

I coughed, reeling from the powerful blow. My wolf was rising, dangerously close to starting the shift to war-form. I clenched my fists and growled, struggling to maintain control. “You killed my uncle, you bastard!”

Amos pulled me away from the wall and threw me. I slammed into one of the benches and rolled a few feet down the sloping yard before coming to my feet, ready for a fight.

But before I could fully regain my feet, Amos was on me, hitting me again. “Shut your mouth! It was him or me, you hear? I didn’t have a fucking choice!” I stumbled to my knees as Amos backhanded me again. “You shut up right now, and if you ever bring it up again, I’ll—”

Amos was torn away from me and slammed to the ground by a big, black wolf. I scrambled back instinctively as the ferocious dark beast sunk its teeth into Amos’ forearm and shook its head back and forth, while claws scraped wildly at his chest. Amos’ shirt tore and blood sprayed. It took a second for me to recognize the big wolf as Jack.

Jack tore a huge chunk out of Amos’ arm as a huge, shaggy, gray wolf slammed into Jack’s side, barreling him to the ground. Ralof wrestled Jack down, then pinned him and growled as Amos screamed and gripped his bloody arm.

Jack snapped his teeth at Ralof once, then Ralof snarled at him and caught his eyes. Jack held his Alpha’s eyes for a few long, tense, seconds, much longer than I would have expected, before finally snapping his head to the side, submitting to the Alpha’s rule.

Ralof watched him for a few seconds, then shifted back to his human form and glanced up at me. “Dakota—”

But he drew up short on his command as I was already following it. I’d dropped to my knees, torn my shirt off, and wrapped it around Amos’ arm. Werewolves regenerated, but it was totally possible for us to bleed out. Ralof met my eyes and nodded once, a sparkle of approval in his eyes. I nodded back, suddenly feeling exhausted.

Amos clenched his teeth against the pain as his regeneration worked its magic, slowly repairing the shredded flesh and blood vessels.

Ralof got to his feet and offered a hand to Jack. After a moment, Jack shifted back to his human form and took it. Once he got to his feet, Ralof put a hand on Jack’s shoulder and caught his eyes again; this time, there was no struggle between them. Jack nodded to him once, then they both turned to face Amos. Ralof nodded to me and I stood and took a few steps back.

Ralof glared down at Amos, anger simmering in his eyes. But if Ralof was simmering, Jack was burning up inside. He clenched his jaw and practically seethed.

Ralof glanced up at Jack. “I take it you stand in agreement?”

Jack turned his head and spat. “You could say that, Hoss.”

Ralof nodded. “Then call the pack.”

13

Traffic Court

The pack convened in the back yard, a circle of wolves, all roused from their sleep, surrounding the one called out for his crimes. Ralof had gotten dressed, tied his hair back, and brought out an enormous hammer with a thick handle half as tall as he was, and a carved, blocky stone head as big as my…well, head. The Alpha joined the pack and dropped the hammer to the ground between his feet, resting his hands on the butt end of the long handle.

Ralof explained the matter and called on those highest in the pack to give their opinions on the appropriate punishment.

Ralof crossed his arms and glared down at the kneeling Amos. “The strength of the wolf is in the pack, and the strength of the pack is in the wolf. If a wolf can not trust his pack, always, to be there for him, to protect him, then the pack has failed him. Such a pack can not possibly thrive. A house divided against itself cannot stand.”

Ralof cast his eyes around the gathered circle, then returned his gaze to Amos, his expression hardening sharply. “Betraying one’s own pack is a grave offense. Most Alphas would have killed you where you stood for such a crime.” He turned his eyes from Amos to Jack, but the pack’s Third glanced away. Ralof looked to Andrei instead.

Andrei looked as sad as I’d ever seen him. He shrugged one shoulder. “I don’t know, boss. It’s just a damn shame. What could we do that’s really going to fix this? Nothing will make it right.” He glanced over at Amos and frowned, eyes as full of pity as anger.

Elisa lifted her head. “Such behavior can not be tolerated. It must be known that we will not permit it.” She glanced over her shoulder to where Nan stood a few feet back from the pack of wolves. “His mother should have a say. Since her son is dead of this man’s betrayal, she is the most wronged of us all.”

Ralof glanced at Nan, so the rest of the pack turned toward her too. Nan took a step forward, fury glimmering hotly in her eyes. “My Robbie was a good boy, and he was good friend to this sorry bastard. He should pay for what he did. An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.”

Ralof glanced at me. “Dakota.” He waved for me to come closer, so I stepped over to him. “Robert’s ghost came to you to set this right. I feel you should have a say as well.”

I turned and stared at Amos long and hard. Amos stared back up at me, some strange mixture of emotions playing around in his eyes. There was anger, but it had settled down into something else. Or maybe more accurately, it had started turning inward. Beyond that I saw hints of fear, shame, and whatever you call that feeling one would have when faced with the loss of everything.

Grief, I suppose.

I wanted to hate this man. I wanted to despise him with every fiber of my being. I wanted to point my finger, say the word, and watch the pack tear him apart and let justice be done.

But that wouldn’t solve anything. Andrei was right.

Nothing would fix this.

Nothing could ever make this right.

Nothing would bring Robert back.

And nothing would undo the wrong Amos had done to his own pack.

Hurting the pack even more wasn’t the way to make things better.

“Show him mercy,” I said.

Nan screamed, “What? Girl, how can you—”

“Nan, many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgment.”

Ralof eyed me thoughtfully for a beat before dropping a hand on my shoulder with pride in his eyes. “Wise words, Dakota.”

Raelya eyed me. “Who are you quoting?” she asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Tolkien,” I admitted with a shrug. Elisa hmph’d quietly, but I detected a hint of approval in her eyes.

Nan crossed her arms and turned away, clenching her jaw. “So I guess you’re just gonna let him go?”

I glanced up at Ralof. Ralof closed his eyes for a moment and sighed, resting his hands on the handle of his giant war-hammer again. After a long moment of silence, the Alpha opened his eyes and hefted the hammer, tossing it up onto his shoulder with a practiced motion.

He stepped forward and towered over the kneeling Amos. “Amos Ayers, as Alpha of the Lower Appalachian werewolves, for the crime of betraying your own pack, for delivering one of our own into the hands of the enemy, for murder, I might have sentenced you to death. But the pack has called for mercy, and they speak wisdom. Dealing out death to our own is the old way. You know well the battle I fought to free us of the old way, and I still believe we can be better than our ancestors.”

Ralof dropped the hammer’s head to the ground again, resting one hand on it. “As such, you are sentenced instead to live in exile. As a pack, we must be able to trust our brothers and sisters with our lives, and you have betrayed that trust in the worst way possible rather than facing your own foes with honor. For your deceit, for your cowardice, you shall never again run among us, free and fair in the wild that is our home. You may wander the world beyond, but I will spread word of your deeds, and no wolf will call you kin. Neither here, nor anywhere else. This is the fate you have brought upon yourself.”

Ralof lowered his head, then turned his back on the kneeling wolf. “Go.” His command was steel and stone.

Amos climbed to his feet, his eyes full of grief and fear. He stared at Ralof’s back for a long moment, then turned to look at Jack. Jack turned away with a snarl, and Will turned with him, his eyes glimmering with pain.

Amos glanced at me next, and I saw him trying to hate me, but as he stared up at me, something shifted in his expression, and just like that, the anger flowed away. He turned and walked out of the circle of wolves as they parted to let him pass, all turning away and refusing to look at him.

Amos walked away from the pack and crossed the yard, turned the corner by the house, and then was gone.

The pack stood together quietly for a long moment, some holding hands, some leaning on each other for support. I found Raelya and hugged her tight, tears coming to my eyes. I wasn’t sure if I was more angry, hurt, or exhausted. But I knew I wasn’t the only one who felt that way. Weird as it was, as I glanced around the pack, the person I felt the worst for was Jack. Amos had been like a brother to him and Will. I couldn’t imagine what it would feel like if I found out Raelya had betrayed me, but even thinking of it threatened to break something inside of me.

After several long minutes of mournful silence, Ralof turned back to face the pack and then urged them all back inside. It was time for rest. A dozen werewolves filed back into the house, back to their beds, to what would likely be a restless, fitful sleep for many of them. This ordeal had taken a toll on everyone, it seemed.

Jack was the last to move. Ralof walked over and put a hand on his shoulder and after a moment, the old cowboy nodded once. “I hear ya, Hoss.” He turned and walked inside.

Finally, Ralof turned to face me, his features somber and tired. “Well, it is done.”

I nodded, opened my mouth to speak, then closed it again. I did that three times before sighing. “There are no right words for this, Ralof. It feels wrong to say thank you. This doesn’t feel like a thanking thing.”

Ralof put a hand on my shoulder. “I understand. There is no need to say anything.” He caught my eyes. “You are exhausted. We should get your Nan home, then get some rest.”

I nodded. “Yeah. Just, give me a minute, all right?”

Ralof nodded. “I will take her to the truck.”

“Take her to mine. I will drive her home,” Raelya said.

Ralof tilted his head in query. Raelya nodded. “Are you sure?” he asked.

Raelya nodded. “The pack needs you here.”

Ralof grunted his agreement, and stepped past her, then ushered my scarily silent, angry Nan back around to the front of the house.

Raelya stepped over to me and held out a hand. “So?”

I took her hand and walked with her across the yard. A chilly breeze brushed across my shoulders and I turned to look back. Robert’s ghost stood before me, his eyes still hopeful and hopeless. “See, Robert? I told you,” I said. “I told you these wolves were different.”

Robert smiled at me faintly, then lowered his head. “He was my friend. It hurts.” His voice echoed in the quiet stillness of the night.

I nodded. “I’m sorry. But at least—”

Robert reached up and ruffled my hair. “At least you’re safe now.”

I smiled at him. “I guess you believe me now?”

Robert nodded, then turned to gaze past me. I tilted my head. Robert noticed the motion and answered, “Mom. I worry about her. She’s tough, but she gets lonely too, you know?”

I nodded. “Don’t worry. I’ll keep an eye on her. I promise she won’t be all alone.”

“Tell her I’m okay now. Tell her this is enough.”

I nodded again. “I will. Don’t worry. She’s mad now, but we’ll get through this.”

Robert smiled at me, eyes full of gratitude and suddenly peaceful. “Thank you.” And just like that, Robert’s ghost faded away. The wind picked up and tugged at my hair as the chillness left the breeze.

I turned and walked to the truck with Raelya, holding my dearest friend’s hand with all my heart.

14

Sunday Drive

Raelya tugged on my arm as she passed me on her way to the door. “Come on, slow poke! We will be late!”

“I’m coming!” I laughed as I finished tying my shoelaces, then hopped up and chased after her, pulling on my light jacket as we hurried out into the chilly Autumn morning.

Raelya jogged over to her little truck, opened the driver’s side door, and held it open for me with a big smile. I hopped up and slid into the seat as Raelya ran around to the passenger side. We buckled our seat belts and turned on the radio. Morning talk-shows dominated the airwaves, so Raelya pulled out her old-fashioned CD binder and tugged out the new Steam-Powered Giraffe album I’d given her, and popped it in.

I pulled us steadily out of the driveway and onto the road, then drove us down to the empty lot where she’d been teaching me to drive for the past few weeks. I pulled into the lot and parked, then sat there and gave the place a good look around, listening to Bunny Bennett’s pretty voice in the background. “I guess this is it,” I said at last.

Raelya smiled. “I am very proud of you, Dakota. You were a good student.”

“Except for that time when I ran a guy over, you mean?”

Raelya laughed. “Well, seeing as he was a ghost, I do not suppose I will count it against you.”

I grinned. “Let’s hope my driver’s test instructor will be so forgiving.”

Raelya smirked at me. “Well, if he is not, perhaps you will run him over next?”

We giggled at that as the song ended and transitioned into a soft, melodic number with an old-timey Western tone. “Man, their music is so weird-cool.” I sighed happily.

Raelya nodded. “I am glad you shared it with me.”

I glanced around the lot one more time. “Me too.”

Raelya squeezed my shoulder softly. “Nan will be grumpy if we let her brunch get cold.”

I nodded. “Yeah, I know. It’s time to go.” I put the truck into drive and looped once around the empty lot. “I guess he really is gone.”

“It is a good thing, Dakota. It means that he is finally at peace.”

I nodded. “I know. And I’m glad.”

Raelya smiled at me as I carefully braked to a full-stop at the stop sign edging the lot. “And personally, I think he really helped you learn to be a good driver.”

I tilted my head. “You do?”

Raelya grinned wickedly. “Perhaps the terror of running over someone once will remind you to always be careful and drive safely.”

I laughed. “You mean like you do, Imperator?”

Raelya laughed. “Well, when a monster is chasing you, the rules of the road are quite different.” She flashed a winning smile at me. “Besides, do not forget I have a few decades of experience on you.”

I grinned as I pulled onto the highway. “When do I get to take the “Monster-Chase-Getaway-Driver’s course?”

Raelya patted me gently on the shoulder. “Well, first you have to pass your license exam.”

We giggled together as we pulled out of the little empty lot, cool wind tugging at my hair as we left, almost as if saying goodbye.

Want More Dakota?

The story continues with Blooded

(Auralight Codex: Dakota Shepherd #3)

Be sure to join our Mailing list so you’ll be notified of the release date!

Hunted is the second book of what I expect to be a long series that I’ll be writing for years to come. If you want more of Dakota’s snarky wit and heartfelt antics, be sure to check out the rest of the series, coming soon from DarksbaneBooks.com.

Auralight Codex :

Dakota Shepherd Novels:

- Awakened (#1)

- Hunted (#2)

- Driven (#2.5)

- Blooded (#3)- Coming Fall 2015

- Risen (#4) - To Be Announced.

- And many more…

Auralight Codex is the cultivation of many stories that I intend to explore in the future with multiple series, so be sure to sign up for our mailing list at DarksbaneBooks.com to always receive our updates on upcoming releases, promotions, and special offers.

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More from Darksbane Books:

Annathesa Nikola Darksbane’s

Starlight Saga Starting with:

Destiny Abounds

On the prison world of Urebai, a notorious Prisoner breaks free of her chains once more. On primeval Fade, a decorated warrior flees her home for the stars to escape her past. And under the light of a distant star, a solitary pilot prepares to make the ultimate sacrifice for her people.
This is how the tale begins.
Branwen Hawke left behind the swords and castles of her homeworld to take solace from the war that consumed most of her life. After stumbling into the role of captain of a one-of-a-kind starship with an unlikely crew, she must find a way to keep them together and thriving. But even with years of experience commanding troops, Branwen has her hands full with a lost pilot from a distant world, an engineer with crippling anxiety, an innocent young medic with a secret, a renowned Kala, and her insanely dangerous baggage.
Now tasked with an important mission that could make or break the crew’s reputation, Branwen must face her inner turmoil and find some sort of peace despite the struggles she can’t escape, while safeguarding the lives that have fallen so fatefully into her hands.

Acknowledgements

Thanks to my wifey for helping me work out the kinks in this story and for all her awesome input to the series so far. This world would not exist, and I’d never have come this far without you.

Thanks to my daughter for being awesome and making me coffee.

Thanks to my sister, Jen, for editing this novella on short notice, and for all the pep talks and hugs. Thanks for making that one big suggestion that really made the story better, and thanks for running the meat grinder with us afterward. :D Love you!

Thanks to Eris, even though she pointed out that one big hole in my plot that forced me to rewrite the whole outline, turning this story from a short story into a novella, which I totally hadn’t planned on, and didn’t have time for in my schedule, thus making everything more difficult.

Thanks & Happy Birthday to my awesome pal, Robert Dahlen, for being a constant companion through this whole writing adventure, and for sharing his awesome stories with me.
Thanks to Kboards, and all the awesome people there who have contributed immensely to my progress with their incredible advice.

Thanks to everyone who bought Awakened and Hunted and thanks again to everyone who left a review, shared my book with a friend, shared a post, or helped in any other way!

Pronunciation Guide

In case any of you are as much of a geek for these sorts of things as I am, I’m including this pronunciation guide for the names of major characters in the story.

Names of Major Characters:

(CAPS indicate which syllable is accented.)

- Dakota Shepherd : “Duh-KOH-tah SHEHP-erd”

- Raelya : “RAIL-yah”

- Ralof : “RAY-loff”

- Elisa : “Eh-LEE-sah”

- Andrei: “AHN-drey”

These don’t really need a guide, but for the sake of completion:

- Nan Tanner

- Robert Tanner

- Jack Lindon

- Amos Ayers

- Sky Simms

- Will, Jonas, Steph, Kenneth, Elliot

About the Author

Shei Darksbane is a blue-haired geek with a love of awesome stories of all kinds whether they come in the form of books, shows, movies, comics, roleplay, video games, music, art, theater, etc. She is a proud lesbian and feminist, a human rights activist, and a passionate person in general who loves the wonderful, beautiful world and the incredible creativity of humankind. She refuses to give up believing in magic, fairies, and monsters under the bed, and she feels sorry for those who do. She lives with her wife who has been her partner for over 15 years, their awesome daughter, and one really cool cat named Velvet.