Trust: A Twisted Wolf Tale (11 page)

“Put the gun down, Gabriella,” my dad said. “You aren’t going to shoot my son.”

The woman seriously had no compassion for anyone but herself. “I might shoot you for having brought me out here,” she said, glaring at him.

That was her mistake, to look away from her target. In that moment, as she glared at my father, Karoline moved.

She was a blur in my vision, moving swiftly as she spun around me, charging at Gabriella and crashing into her—hard. Letting loose a bestial roar, Karoline began to wrestle for the gun.

“Karoline!” I raced forward to save her, to push her out of the way… something… but it was too late.

The sound of the gun firing was not as loud as my father’s rifle, but it was still deafening enough to rattle my soul. Blood flew into the air as the bullet entered Karoline’s chest and exited out the other side. With a gurgled gasp, she fell off Gabriella, clutching at her bleeding chest.

“Got you, bitch!” Gabriella cried in triumph, standing over the writhing Karoline. “Try to fuck with me again and you’ll—”

Gabriella didn’t get to finish her gloating as Pop brought the butt of his rifle down on the side of her head, effectively shutting her up. She was unconscious before she even hit the floor.

“Prissy bitch,” he grumbled.

With the danger now gone, I closed the distance between us, kneeling by Karoline’s side to scoop her up into my arms.

“Christ, Karoline,” I said, pulling her close to inspect her wound. The hole in her chest was the size of my thumbprint, dark blood oozing from the wound freely. I pressed my hand against it to try and stifle the flow, feeling entirely out of control as I watched her suffer. “Why would you throw yourself at her like that?”

“She was going to shoot you,” she said, gasping and coughing with each word as a trickle of blood dripped from the side of her lip. “How was I supposed to… just let that happen?”

“But…” With tears already welling up in my eyes, the pain, both physical and emotional, was becoming too much to bear. “You’re dying…”

“It was worth it,” she said, smiling at me. Her once bright, golden eyes were beginning to dim, making me sob at the reality I would lose her before I ever got the chance to prove just how much she meant to me. My hand was soaked in blood, the warmth of her body nearly scorching as I continued to put pressure on the wound. “I did a lot of bad things in my life… I was cursed because I was such a horrible person. But now, at least… I die saving the one person I truly love.”

“No, no!” I cried, tears running down my cheeks. Shutting my eyes tight, I tried to calm my racing heart. The pain in my back was nothing compared to the anguish in my heart. The idea of losing Karoline… of having my love being taken away from me… I couldn’t handle it.

“Please don’t cry…” she said, reaching up to cup my cheek. I could feel her claws grazing my earlobe, and the sensation was so real, so right, that it only made me cry harder.

“I can’t lose you!”

“It’s okay,” she said. “I die knowing I am loved for who I am, not for my looks… and that makes me happy.”

“I do love you,” I said, my head bobbing to affirm my words. “I love you so much…”

“I love you too, Beau.” She ran her thumb over my cheekbone, wiping away one of my many tears. I pressed my eyes shut, soaking in her words, her touch. “I love you.”

When the pressure of her hand against my cheek disappeared, I opened my eyes to see why, devastation shaking me to my core. I stared at her limp hand as it fell against the floor, completely void of life. With her eyes closed and lips parted, I almost couldn’t comprehend she was gone.

“Karoline!” I shook her. “No! Damn it, wake up!”

She didn’t move, her chest no longer rising and falling with life-sustaining breaths. I felt my shoulders shake violently with the horrible realization that I’d just lost my beloved Karoline, my beautiful beast…

“Beau…” My father’s voice came quietly from next to me, a hand grasping at my bicep. “Beau, step away from her.”

“No!” I screamed, clutching her tighter to my body, her warmth enveloping me. Her body felt so hot, as if it were on fire. “I’m not leaving her!”

“Open your eyes, son,” he said, his words shaking like a leaf in a windstorm. “Look at her.”

Despite my anguish, I did as he said and opened my eyes to look down at her prone body. In that moment, I realized something strange—her body was actually
heating up
. Didn’t people go cold when they died? All the books I had read usually described people feeling cold when their blood no longer flowed through their veins. But Karoline felt hot… scorching even.

After really looking at her, it didn’t take long to comprehend why she was growing so warm.

She was glowing. Like, actually
shining
.

I watched in mystification as my Karoline’s fatal wound closed up before my eyes, the skin molding together as if being stitched by little threads. A soft, yellowish glow emanated from her skin, tangles of her fur beginning to fall to the ground in little strands. The hair on top of her head began to lighten in color and grow longer, reverting to the silky, blonde hue she had the night before. With amazement, I watched as the claws and fangs sank into her body, suddenly turning into normal human attachments right before my eyes.

I watched as the beast shed its skin and the beautiful woman emerged from within.

As the final few pieces of fur fell away, her eyes fluttered and slowly cracked open. Instead of the glowing gold I had grown accustomed to, her irises glistened with the hazel color I stared into while making love to her. I let loose the breath I hadn’t even realized I’d been holding when she stared at me, the fog in her gaze slowly lifting.

“B-Beau…?” Her voice cracked, lips trembling. “I feel…”

“Karoline!” My voice came out in a harsh whisper, my amazement hindering my ability to speak. The tears in my eyes intensified, but instead of sadness, they were of joy. “You’re alive!”

Slowly, she raised her hands and stared at the smooth, peach flesh of her fingers in wonderment.

“I’m… human?”

“Yes… you…”

With the adrenaline leaving my system, I felt a sudden wooziness overtake me. I couldn’t pass out, not now. I’d just been reunited with her—my mind still unable to comprehend what was happening. I needed to stay with her…

Unable to control what was happening, darkness ebbed at the edge of my vision, creeping all around me until I could no longer remain conscious.

The last thing I heard before passing out was Karoline calling my name.

I wasn’t sure how long I swam through the overwhelming blackness, or even if I would ever escape. The only sound I could hear was the sweetest voice in the world calling my name.

Beau.

Ringing through my soul, my heart skipped a beat each and every time I heard it echo around me. I couldn’t figure out where she was, or answer her call. Instead, I continued to swim for what felt like hours, listening to her voice sing my name—the most beautiful, melodic sound I’d ever had the pleasure of hearing.

Beau.

Beau.

Beau, please wake up…

The last one gave me a jolt, like lightning permeating through the darkness to lead me back to her. I had to follow it, push through until…

Opening my eyes slowly, the light of the sun seemed to stream directly onto my face, causing me to squint. I groaned, about to raise my arm to shield my eyes from the malicious attack of solar proportions, but unable to as a weight held it down.

Peering through the light, the hard throb of a headache pounding between my eardrums making me wince, I looked down at what was holding my arm in place. My breath caught at what I saw.

Karoline.
Human
Karoline.

Her blonde locks were scattered around her head as she rested it on top of my arm, her eyes closed and her breathing even, a small rose in the hand just beneath her head. Sleeping soundly in a chair on the side of the bed I was in, she looked more peaceful than I’d ever seen her before. After a moment of looking at the library around me, I realized where I was.

Not for the first time in my life, questions raced through my mind at lightning speed. My headache intensified with the brain activity, and instead of making it worse by continuing my chugging train of thought, I spoke out loud.

“Karoline?” My voice was a raspy mess of phlegm, my mouth feeling like a field of cotton.

With the sound of my voice, her eyes immediately popped open, focusing on me instantly.

“You’re awake!” she cheered, her dimples showing as she smiled brightly at me. “I was beginning to think your dreams were too good to leave.”

“I’m not quite sure I’m not still dreaming,” I said, staring at her, wanting so badly to touch her, but struggling with the strength to do so. “Karoline… you’re…”

A dash of pink dusted her pale cheeks as it dawned on her what I was referring to.

“Yeah, I’m human again,” she said, lifting her unclawed hand for me to examine. “See? No more fur and claws.”

“But… how?”

“I’m not entirely sure,” she said, her voice quiet and her gaze softening as she stared at the smooth palm of her hand. “I thought about it, and… I think I got the whole true love thing all wrong.”

I frowned, unable to comprehend what she was saying. “What do you mean?”

“I thought the witch meant that someone had to love me to free me of the curse,” she said, smiling with a newfound gentleness and twirling the rose between her fingers—a true happiness I only saw from her once before when we made love. “But, I think what she meant was that
I
had to learn to love myself before I could be free—beast and all.”

“You really think so?” I inquired, trying to sit up only to have a sharp pain lance through my back, making me cry out.

“Be careful!” she said, placing her hands on my shoulders to help me rest back onto the bed. “Your father was able to stitch you up with the medical supplies he had brought with him. You’ve been unconscious for a whole day. We were lucky you didn’t lose too much blood.”

I fought to pull my breaths back under control, forcing my mind to focus on her words.

“My dad…” I ground out, coughing. “Where is he?”

“He is downstairs,” she explained, shaking her head with slight, measured movements as she fought off a small smile. “I let him choose a few books from my collection in exchange for some privacy. It was a rather easy transaction.”

Yeah, sounded just like him.

“And the others?” I asked.

“They left. Your friends volunteered to take that wench away before I could use my dull teeth to gnaw her throat open for threatening to shoot you.”

Despite the throbbing pain surging throughout my entire body, I laughed, which hurt beyond comprehension.

“Some things will never change,” I thought out loud.

“What bothered me most about her though, was I saw myself in her. Hell, I
was
her back before… well, before I was put in my place, I guess,” Karoline admitted, shrugging with her words.  “I’m just glad it all turned out the way it did.”

“So, everything’s back to normal, huh?”

The sour look she had while speaking of Gabriella immediately shifted to her bright smile again. I didn’t think I could ever be able to deny those dimples of anything in this world.

“Yes,” she said, taking my hand. “Everything is normal. Including me.”

I snorted. “You know I don’t care about that,” I said. “Beast or not, you’re still my Karoline.”

Her smile widened, moisture building up in her eyes. She leaned forward to press her lips gently against mine, and I gladly kissed her back.

She crawled into the bed with me and placed her hand, the one holding the rose, on my chest—the pain of shifting completely worth it if it meant I could hold her. Lying cuddled like that for a while, we simply enjoyed each other’s presence. I relished in having her with me, especially after I thought I’d lost her.
I’ll never take her for granted
, I promised myself. I planned on loving her every single day for the rest of my life.

Pulling her closer, I inhaled her scent and smiled.

I’d finally found my one true love.

The End of
Trust
,
Book Two in the
Twisted Wolf Tales Series
.

Continue on with more unique retellings of classic fairy tales with the Twisted Wolf Tales Series. Release information can be found on Rene’s website at
www.renefolsom/twisted-wolf-tales
.

All the Books in the Twisted Wolf Tales Series

Tempt: A Twisted Wolf Tale
(Little Red Riding Hood)

Deep in the Shrouded Wood, on her way to her granny’s cottage, Rosetta is ambushed by an unseen force. Soon after, she finds herself plagued by strange dreams—visions of a large wolf and a seductive woman beckoning her.

Not knowing what to do with these dreams and the odd changes happening to her body in the waking world, Rosetta sets out to confront whatever lies in the Shrouded Wood, determined to discover the temptations within. But what she finds is beyond anything she ever could’ve imagined… or hoped for.

Get ready to dive into Rosetta’s world and enjoy a new twist on the classic tale of Little Red Riding Hood.

This Halloween, something sinfully wicked is coming your way.  Give yourself a Red Hot Treat this fall with ten spine-tingling stories sure to warm up your night.  Scary just got sexy with TEMPT, part of the Red Hot Treats multi-author series (stands alone for reading enjoyment).

Warning: This supernatural romance novella contains f/f adult situations and is meant for ages 18+.

Learn more on Rene’s website at
http://renefolsom.com/tempt
or on Amazon at
http://amzn.to/1wkvEX7

Trust: A Twisted Wolf Tale
(Beauty and the Beast)

Beau Shapiro has spent his whole life being called gorgeous, handsome, sexy… every word imaginable to describe his outer appearance. But despite his popularity, he never once lets it all go to his head. He’s holding out for that one girl that has it all—beauty
and
personality.

While out searching for his father, Beau meets Karoline—a woman cursed to be a beast. Striking a deal with her to save his father’s life, Beau is taken to Karoline’s home deep in the mountainous woods to live with her. During his stay, he finds that there’s beauty within the beast, and slowly, for the first time in his life, falls in love.

Delve into the story of Beau and Karoline, a modern-day retelling of the classic tale Beauty and the Beast.

Warning: This supernatural romance novella contains adult situations and is meant for ages 18+.

Learn more on Rene’s website at
http://renefolsom.com/trust

Trapt: A Twisted Wolf Tale
(Snow White)

Mardi Gras is coming, and no one is more excited than Jolie—The Big Easy’s resident good witch. Amidst the festivities, darkness creeps under the blissful veil of love she is entangled with. Her twin sister, the evil witch Melanie, is out to destroy Jolie before her powers can usurp her own, willing to stop at nothing to do so. Jolie, aided by Asher and his seven-man wolf pack, are set to keep New Orleans safe from Melanie’s sorcery, or die trying.

Enjoy the story of Jolie and Asher, a modern-day retelling of the classic tale Snow White.

This Mardi Gras season, let the sinful good times roll with
Trapt
, a Twisted Wolf Tale and part of the Red Hot Cajun Nights multi-author series (stands alone for reading enjoyment).

Warning: This supernatural urban fantasy romance novella contains adult situations and is meant for ages 18+.

Learn more on Rene’s website at
http://renefolsom.com/trapt