The Great Wolf: A Legacy of Kilkenny Novel Book Three (The Legacy of Kilkenny Saga) (18 page)

“No, the number I was given didn’t work.  MecKenzie says he
hasn’t called back. I Skyped with her earlier when you were in the shower.”

Brianna snuggles in closer to me, resting her head on my
shoulder.  “I need to go find a dress for the Handfasting.  Sapphire and I are
going to the mall.  I hope I don’t sound dumb when I’m talking to people in the
stores.  I worry about that since I sound so different.”

“You won’t sound dumb.  Everyone will find you fascinating
like I do.” I kiss the top of her head and she looks up at me.  My wolf stirs
as I stare in her eyes.  She lifts her face until our lips collide together. 
Our tongues mingle for a moment as I enjoy the silkiness of her mouth.  I tug
on her until she’s on my lap with her arms around my neck. All I hear is the
creaking of the swing as we gently rock back and forth.  Her fingers glide at
the back of my neck as she presses her face harder into mine.  Moments as these,
are getting harder and harder to ignore.  My wolf wants to possess her, feel
her in ways a man shares with the woman he loves. 

I pull back slightly and whisper, “Bri, we have to stop. 
When we get married, we’re not leaving our room for a week straight.”  God,
I’ll be so happy when I don’t have to have self control when I’m touching her.

She wipes her mouth with the back of her hand.  “I know.  I
guess I’ll go put on some lip gloss since mine mysteriously disappeared.”

“I’ll help you solve the mystery when you get back.  They
say it will snow tonight, we can get up early and run in the virgin snow.”

“Really?  That will be awesome.”  She gives me a quick kiss
and stands up to straighten her sweater.  “See you later.”

“See you.”

****************

As I passed Dolly’s office, I heard Pru talking.  She was
talking about the Council and Oakley in the safe-house.  I tap on the door.

“Doors open, come in Abel,” Dolly says.  She sat down at the
desk and motioned for me to sit.  Pru is sitting in the other seat, and Jules
is across the room on her laptop.  “I was on the phone a few minutes ago and
they gave me word that Oakley’s trial has been pushed forward.  His trial will
be in ninety days.”

“Can they do that?”  I ask.  I put my arms around Pru and
give her a hug.

“Seems that way.  Mom found a lawyer who handles cases like
these.  He’ll be arriving the day after tomorrow to go over the evidence.”

“Okay, what can I do to help?” 

“I’m not sure.  Arien said he has a couple of leads on Tao. 
He doesn’t care about helping Oakley, all he cares about is vengeance.  I’ve
asked him not to kill Tao and to turn him in to the Council.  He didn’t make
any promises,” Pru says defeated.  She took the news about the agreement we
made with Arien much better than anyone thought she would.  She said she would
have made the same deal for Oakley and doesn’t blame him. 

“We’ll have a pack meeting.  Jules will send a text to
everyone that there’s a meeting tonight.  I’d like to meet with the coven in
the next couple of days and see if they can do a location spell to find
Shaynie.  Dolly, can you call down to the Dallas pack and see if they’ve heard
anything from her?  She lived there for 18 years; surely she had someone she
was close with in the pack.”  I walk over to the window and look out into the
woods wishing I could magically fix everything.

“I’ll die if they sever our bond,” Pru covers her face with
her hands, her shoulders rise and fall with her silent sobs.

How am I to fulfill the prophesy of the Great Wolf when my
own pack is being ripped at its seams? 

If ever my wolf wanted to scream, he wanted to at the moment
he watched a tear fall from Pru’s beautiful eyes.  His beta was being torn
apart.

****************

I sat in my room, listening to the creaks and groans of the
trees under the weight of the snow.  The earth was covered in a white blanket. 
I’ve been contemplating the next step to freeing Oakley.  Every so often, I
hear someone walking around in the house.  It could be Alistar our dog, doing
his night patrols.

I sighed, I was usually filled with ideas and solutions. 
We’ve come head to head with a brick wall.  I spend much of my time lately
worrying about the pack and the adversity we’re facing.  What the necromancer
said before she left has been haunting my dreams.

In a month, I’ll be bound to another human being,
technically she’s a werewolf. Either way, I’ll be bound.  Alarm races through
me, am I good enough for her?  Will we have a long life?  There’s a part of me
that feels guilty for even dreaming of happiness when one of my best friends is
incarcerated.

A light knock on my door, startles me out of my deep dark
thoughts.  I grab my t-shirt from the bed and throw it on over my bare chest. 
It’s probably Dolly telling me she’s going to go for a midnight run.

She’s standing there in a pair of frog-covered pajamas with
a matching robe.  Her hair is a little rustled and she has sleepy in her eyes. 
Brianna is possibly the most adorable wolf I’ve ever seen. 

We don’t say anything as I let her in and close the door.  I
turn up the gas in the fireplace and take her to my bed.  The flames cast
shadows on the ceiling like long fingers reaching out in the night.

Self control
, I remind myself.

Still not saying a word, we crawl under the weight of my
down comforter and wrap ourselves like a pretzel.  Her head is buried in my
chest, I feel her lashes tickle it as she blinks.

“Your wolf is worried,” Brianna whispers.

“He is, and I’m not sure how to fix it.”

“Abel, we will figure it out.”

“They’ve moved the trial to ninety days.  We only have three
months to save him.”

“We’ll find Tao and this whole thing will be a thing of the
past.”

“How are you holding up?”

“I don’t miss my family like I thought I would,” Brianna
admits.  “I already love everyone here so much.  Violet is even loving it here,
so I don’t want you to worry about us.”

I squeeze her a little tighter. 

“Have you thought of an exit strategy for Oakley?  We could
help and he can go underground until we can prove his innocence,” she says.

“I’ve thought of that too.  Honestly, I don’t know what to
do.  If he was caught, they wouldn’t give him a trial, they’d execute him.”

“Oh.”

The warnings were all about Pru, I never considered Oakley
to be in danger.  Something doesn’t make sense.   If Tao wants my powers, he’ll
show up in Oklahoma.  There’s no way someone would quit that easily.  No, he’s
coming after me and I have to figure out a way to make it sooner than later.

“That’s it, we will draw him out.  What if we spread some
rumors about the powers we have with a couple of embellishments.  I can request
all the alphas to come for a meeting.  He would know that security would be
tight, but easy to find weakness in the armor.  We’ll plan it around the Handfasting,
he would totally buy the story.  This just might work,” I say and kiss her
head. 

For the first time in fourteen days I feel like we have a
real plan.  We have a lot of work to do, but we’re up for the challenge.  Tao
won’t take us down.  He won’t make a fool of our pack.  The Phelan Pack will
come out swinging and Oakley will be brought home.

We stay snuggled under the covers, finding warmth in the
arms of the one who was made for you.  Soon I feel her breathing relax and the
sounds of sleep stealing her from me. We snuggled until I couldn’t stay awake
any longer.

Stay to read some exciting excerpts from other Indies and an
excerpt from Sapphire, A Werewolf Love Story.

Here’s the part where I gush about the people in my life. 
Writing a book takes an army of people.  I want to thank my amazing editors
Paris Kelly and Amber Clark.  Without them I couldn’t do this job.  I must
thank my wonderful critique partner Julie Askew for helping me iron out
scenes.  To every friend who listens to me talk about the fictional people in
my life as if they’re real and doesn’t have me committed.

My biggest fans are my children Paris and Hunter, without
them I would have given up a long time ago.  Thank you both for being my
creative muse.  Thank you to all of the readers who have loved and shared my
books.  I read every single email that you send.  Thank you so much for the
words of encouragement!  To all of the schools who’ve had me out to speak to
the students about writing books.  I love all of you!  Thank you to the
bloggers and readers who leave reviews and pimp out my books, you freakin’
ROCK!  A big shout out to my girls at YA at Heart, Tressa Messenger, Natalie
Star, and Daniele Lanzarotta!

Finally, I must say good-bye to a dear fan Patty Euefueno. 
The last message I got from her was a thank you for sending her a book thong I
had made.  She said she would cherish it forever.  I didn’t realize her forever
was only another month.  Thank you Patty for every single email and message,
I’ll never forget you.

Devyn is a fulltime writer who lives in lush green North
Carolina.  She enjoys spending time with family and reading in her spare time. 
She volunteers as a mentor to high school students who have a desire to be a
writer.  Several times a year, Devyn goes out and speaks to schools, book
clubs, and libraries.  If you would like for her to come and speak to your
organization, please email her at [email protected]

For her schedule about upcoming events, including
conventions, please visit her website at
http://www.devyndawson.com

Twitter -
https://twitter.com/DevynDawson

Facebook -
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Devyn-Dawson/145383098868553

Other books by Devyn

Young Adult Books

The Legacy of
Kilkenny - Book 1

The Seduction - Book
1.5

Malevolence - Book 2

The Great Wolf - Book
3

The Light Tamer -
Book 1

Enlightened - Book 2

Amber’s Faerie Tale -
Book 2.5

New Adult Book

Sapphire a Werewolf
Love Story

Cry Me a River PG-13

Adult Contemporary

Cry Me a River -
Adult

Sapphire A Werewolf Love Story

By Devyn Dawson

SAPPHIRE

Three years ago

“Ruby, you’re getting on my nerves.  I told you already,
I’ve been volunteering at the hospital all day,” I complain.  A few weeks ago,
I was sentenced to community service at Mercy hospital after my sister Ruby got
into a minor disagreement in the movie theater parking lot.  I intervened; and
my fist was caught making contact with a mouthy girl’s cheek.  The security
officer called the police.

“You were there for four hours, how does that make it an all
day event?” Ruby asks.  She comes into my room to admire herself in the full
length mirror.  One thing Ruby doesn’t lack…confidence.  “How are my girls?” 
She says and turns sideways to see her profile.

“Your
girls
look fine.  There is more to you than
your boobs.  I had to go into the shop before I did my CS, so don’t tell me if
I’m tired or not.”

Ruby busts out laughing.  “Okay Phire, I don’t need a
lecture about how I’m so much more than my rockin’ body.  I picked this shirt
up at a yard sale last weekend.  I love when I find a name brand bargain.”  The
red lipstick she carefully applied accentuated the fullness of her lips.  “Come
on, Erwin will be there with his boys.”

“I know Erwin, and his
boys
are nothing but trouble
makers.”

“Says the girl who just got finished with her
community
service,
” Ruby quipped.

She did not just go there.  “Oh, says the girl who started
the fight.”  The whole fight was over a girl flirting with Erwin.  The girl
threw a punch at Ruby and I turned and knocked her out.

Ruby crosses the room and kneels next to the bed, “I might
be a pain in your ass, but we’re going to go strut our stuff.  Get up, throw on
your jeans and boots, it’s time to get rowdy.”  She holds her hands up in
prayer and pouting.

“If I go, you’re going with me to the casino after the
game.  You promised me that we’d do karaoke when I finished my community
service.  Keep in mind; as soon as Erwin’s boys start acting like horn-dogs,
I’m out.  Got it sis?” 

Ruby leans over and kisses me on the nose.  “You’re the
best, I owe you one.”

“Yeah, yeah, about fifty…who’s counting?  I hope it doesn’t
rain tonight.  I can’t wait until tornado season is over.”

~~~~~~

Ruby graduated high school last summer but she couldn’t give
up soccer games.  She played soccer until her junior year when she had an ACL
injury.  Her coach and doctor agreed her soccer days were over.  At nineteen
she not only looks older than she is, but she knows she’s an expert at prowling. 
She never had a shortage of boyfriends but she couldn’t stay committed when
Erwin came around.  He’d been a senior her freshman year.  I was a senior too,
but I took classes online so I could work during the day to help with bills. He
was the quarterback, and she was smitten, they were picture perfect to the
average eye.  It wasn’t long before his personality proved he was after one
thing and would stop at nothing.  They dated off and on for the last couple of
years.  With every break-up, I loathed him more and more.

I tucked in my black button down blouse, making sure the top
two buttons are left open.  I turn around and check my butt, making sure the
pockets make it look fuller.  Black Ariat cowboy boots, and a rhinestone belt,
yeah I’d turn heads, with any luck…the adult male ones. 

“Ooo girl, wow, for someone that hates outdoor soccer games,
you look smoking hot.”  Ruby says as she shimmied into her denim jacket.