S U M M E RI could remember my mother telling me before I moved to Cambridge that life was precious and I should enjoy every day.I’d smiled like a good daughter, completely unaware of the trauma and tragedies yet to come. Maybe I’d taken her words for granted because I certainly had forgotten how to stop and enjoy the world around me. No longer.I’d been granted a new lease on life.I’d been allowed to survive a deadly gas that by all rights should have killed me. The scientific reason why it hadn’t? I was part wolf. There was no denying it, and I could only revel in my new attributes. My vision was a perfect 20/20, capable of seeing the smallest details in the pitch black. My hearing could detect a pin dropping five hundred yards away. And I was much stronger.However, science and being part Wolfen hadn’t saved me. My belief was that Julian’s love had. I was as certain of that fact as I was that the sun would rise tomorrow.Love could conquer all.He’d whispered my name hundreds o
J U L I A NAll three agents laughed, Agent Walker becoming slightly embarrassed. But he wasn’t necessarily backing down. He’d be in trouble in the future. I sensed it.“You’re right, of course,” he stated. “But there have been some unexplained deaths over the last few decades in and around this lovely town. Murders similar to what we’ve been witnessing across the country. Any idea why this might be occurring?”His challenge was duly noted. “It’s my understanding from stories offered from my mother than there was a group of humans who also believed in this ridiculous theory. They used their concern to band together, forming a malicious and deadly group that purposely hunted down members of my family and those they considered pack members. This town has seen far too much bloodshed, Agent Walker. I suggest you turn your attention toward those who are attempting badly to imitate what they believe would be a slaughter caused by a wolf.”The three agents glanced at each other.“Might I su
J U L I A N“She needs to be in a hospital,” Marla chided for the third time in less than an hour. She removed the stethoscope from around her neck, twisting her head so I could see the full effect of her glare.“You know why we can’t do that,” I told her.“He’s right,” Calix told her. “The last thing we need to do is to place the FBI on further alert or cause any trauma in the community.”Trauma.We had a killing field full of heads and massacred corpses on full display proving that there’d been a bloody battle. While cleanup was ongoing, ensuring no one would ever learn what had occurred in the dark, that would still take time. The area was being heavily guarded, but I continued to fear a breach. That would be disastrous.I moved closer toward the bed, peering down at Summer. She looked so pale, her soft skin blemished from chemical burns. But they would heal even without the full effect of her being a wolf. The toxins in her lungs were the most concerning. Marla was beside hersel
J U L I A NThose in Wolfen form continued exterminating all those in our way, our human brothers following behind us to clean up the mess we’d started.The woods would be a killing zone in the morning, cleanup a bitch, but necessary to protect the way of life in Cambridge. This was our land, the hundreds of acres purchased by the Wolfen Corporation considered a safe haven.If not a burial ground.Townies believe we were building a new plant there.The truth was nowhere close; it would never be taken for commercial use.Tonight proved it.“We’re almost there, brother,”Calix said mentally as he finally joined the pack.“Not close enough,”I told him. I smelled their approach. It was only a matter of seconds before they would break into the building.Where the fuck was Jeremiah? His scent had been masked, the bastard disappearing as if he hadn’t come this far.But I knew better.He was primal blood too, his ancestors from the first werewolves created during the darkest of ages. We were d
J U L I A NOne hour.Time was almost up.I’d been pacing the floor in the living room, coming damn close to allowing my beast to crawl out of his lair.That couldn’t happen with Britney in the house.So I continued pacing. And worrying. And hungering.“Fuck,” I hissed and headed to the bar. Thankfully, the last time I’d checked on Britney, she’d been taking a much needed nap, falling asleep with her favorite music playing in the background.I yanked a bottle from the shelf, twisting the cap. It was rotgut whiskey, which was my second choice when my wolf was active.I’d barely gulped down half the glass when I heard voices heading in my direction. I didn’t need to turn my head to sense River had returned with Eliza. And one of them was hurt.“What the fuck happened?” My question was a demand as I headed for my brother.While the slashes covering his body would heal, it was taking much longer than normal. Although I couldn’t remember the last time I’d paid any attention to healing time
S U M M E RLow and masculine, every time Julian’s voice dropped to little more than a whisper, I found myself deep in a trance. It wasn’t just his breath I felt sliding across my skin, but his husky and sensual tone that kept me aroused in his presence.I’d done my best to remain focused on the work, but he made it impossible. He also managed to keep me as unnerved as the work I was doing. Nothing seemed real any longer.“You’re deep in thought,” Marla said. While we weren’t going to have a tremendous friendship, I’d already grown to respect her work in just two days.“Yeah, I guess so. I just don’t know what to think any longer.”“About our work or about Julian?”“I guess both.” I tried to laugh but the sound was hollow. “He’s the most infuriating man I’ve ever known.” I moved to see what she was working on, checking my watch since I had no doubt Julian would come storming into the lab, tossing me over his shoulder.She continued studying the slide she was looking at. “He’s an Alpha
J U L I A NThe stench was ripe, the air thick with the scent of wolves.Some were because of the Alphas I’d ordered to secure the house, keeping an eye out for any unwanted creatures. However, I could also gather an odor representative of another beast.My instincts and my keen senses told me it wouldn’t be long prior to a planned attack. Murders had continued to increase, as many as ten people attacked at a time. However, subsequent attacks hadn’t occurred within the same area.Yet.“Why does Mama like you?”I’d spent zero time around a child with the exception of Daphne, although even that had been limited. I’d never read a bedtime story. The kid had been a brat coming out of the womb, brilliant and precocious. She’d mastered music by age three, jumped ahead in school by several grades, and never had time to talk to her old uncle.“Does she like me?” I asked Britney. This girl was just as precious as my niece and she was exactly like her mother.Ferocious with all things.In the t
S U M M E RThe air in the room crackled with electricity. I could feel the heat rising as much as my anger level.I snapped my head toward Agent Smith. “I’m not going anywhere. Tell me about Agent Drummand.”“Then we’ll need to put you into handcuffs,” Agent Jarvis stated.I got in Agent Smith’s face. He seemed to dislike me the most. “She’s dead, isn’t she? Agent Drummand is dead. Did you people kill her?”While I was pressing my luck, I’d already lost my patience; they were planning on stonewalling me and that just wasn’t going to fly with me.“Didn’t you?” I barked again.Agent Walker was now trying to talk over me, reading me my rights and I wasn’t paying one bit of attention.With venom in my eyes and in my voice, I pointed my finger at Agent Smith. “Is that what you do with agents who misbehave? You kill them?”“Yes, she’s dead, Doctor Willis. And that’s because of you!” Agent Smith’s outburst was met with a heavy huff from both other agents.I cocked my pretty little head. “I’
S U M M E R“You were correct in your assumptions, Doctor Willis. Their DNA and every cell within their body is mutating faster every few hours.”“You can call me Summer, Marla. I think this constitutes a forced friendship,” I told her, looking up long enough to see her reaction. She was a cold fish, the kind of woman who was likely a ballbuster to men. Especially human men.The way Marla was looking at me was actually quite comical. She was doing her best not to stare but failing. “Summer then,” she said.I returned to the slide under my microscope briefly before shifting my attention to the computer screen. As I engaged the 3-D system just like Daphne had taught me to do, she walked into the room. The smile on her face indicated she was delighted I was using her program. It had already come in handy.“I have the first few test results back from infusing the cells with the different poisons.”Exhaling, I backed away from the computer, grabbing the printed documentation. I was aware M