The Depth of Darkness (Wolfstrike Series #1)

Prologue

Prologue

October 22, 1919

Moonlight streamed in through the circular window of the attic as she wrote. Other than a small candle that sat upon the desk, it was the only light in the room. Though she had little light to work with it didn't bother her much—she was no stranger to the dark. She uncapped her pen, reveling in the sound it made as she wrote. She took a deep breath, willing her hands not to shake. This wasn't just any letter that she was composing, after all, it was her suicide note. She couldn't help the hot tears that dripped down her face and onto the paper below her, but she wiped them away nonetheless. While she had always known that one of their lives would end, she never could have expected that it would be hers.

See, seduce, separate, slaughter. That was the plan—to make one of her sworn enemies, Raymond Mannaro fall in love with her and then kill him. The ancient ritual that followed would free all of her people. It would require a sacrifice, and she would be the one to provide it. But while she had spent the majority of her life preparing for her destiny, now that it had arrived she had realized the error of her ways. Unable to differentiate those who were good from those who were bad, she felt she had no other choice but to take herself out of the picture. So she began to write the letter that would only be received after her untimely demise. She wrote apologies to all those who depended on her to play her part—her two sisters, Naomi and Charlotte, her brother Wren, her parents. But when she began to write the name of her lover, she paused, unable to continue.

Emmett's shimmering brown eyes and easy smile had been the one thing holding her together for as long as she could remember. He was meant to advise her and help her stay their course, and he had a habit of making her business his business. At first, she was bothered by his constant breathing down her neck, but when the breathing down her neck came followed by kisses, she didn't mind quite as much. He was supposed to keep her focused on the task at hand, but the two of them had done little more than steal kisses and learn every inch of each other's bodies. Circumstance had pulled them together like magnets, but if anyone ever found out they'd be killed. She closed her eyes, and the memories of that night came flooding back.

It was well after dark. With her destiny inching closer and closer, she and Emmett had little time alone. They were always planning with the other Depths, always making preparations for the night that everything would change. The ritual was only days away, and though there was still much to do, Emmett had convinced her they needed to make the most of what little time they had left. So, when it was time for him to escort her home for the night, they snuck into the woods.

His lips scorched her skin as they trailed down the side of her throat. A gasp escaped her own lips as his tongue flicked across her collarbone. His hands explored the length of her figure, sending her heart into a series of thunderclaps as he backed her against the trunk of a tree. He curled one arm around her waist and held her face in the other.

"I love you, Alison." He whispered, catching her ear lobe between his teeth. He slid one of the sleeves of her dress down her arm, kissing her shoulder. "I love you." He traced shapes across her lips with his own. This time he murmured it against her mouth, "I love you."

She swallowed thickly, the words struggling to climb out of her throat as his hand slipped under her skirts and he pressed his lips to the underside of her jaw. The trees shivered around them in anticipation. "I love—"

Her whisper became a cry as hot liquid ran down her neck. Confused, she pushed him back a little bit, startled to find that the force of which had almost knocked him over. Blood trickled down the lips that had just danced across her own not moments prior. "Emmett?!" she exclaimed, blue eyes wide with fear. He staggered, and she held his head in her hands, pressing it against her chest as she searched their surroundings for the source of the sudden danger.

With only the moon aiding her in her pursuit, she almost didn't see them. Green eyes, twinkling with mischief. Smiling teeth caught the light and tears ran down her face. Even if she hadn't spent months batting her eyes at him and luring him into her trap, she would've known who it was that had thrown the knife into her lover's back—piercing perfectly through his chest. Raymond Mannaro chuckled cruelly, escaping into the shadows. And while his lips moved, she couldn't tell what it was he had been trying to say. What happened next was a blur. She might have screamed something to the effect of you bastard at him as he fled, but she couldn't remember. Her eyes were welled with tears as she returned her gaze to the man in her arms. She screamed and begged and pleaded until her voice was raw, but it was too late—Emmett was gone.

She suddenly sprang back to the present, more tears burning her eyes. She gripped the pen tighter, hesitation seeping into her veins. When her heart rate finally slowed, she continued to write Emmett's name. She knew he would never read her apology but desperate for one more conversation with him, she wrote to him too. After signing her name at the bottom of the parchment, she let the tears fall freely, folding the letter and laying it on the desktop. Then, without realizing it, she curled her fingers around the knife on the desk—the very same knife she had wrenched from Emmett's back. Gripping the handle, she gazed at the blood that had dried onto the blade. It was her fault that he was gone. If she had only just kept her focus, if she had just stuck to killing Raymond and hadn't allowed her heart to be given away, he would still be alive. At that moment, she didn't care anymore. Just hours before she had lost the love of her life, the one she had planned on spending the rest of her days with when all of it was over. Now, she was all alone, and none of it mattered anymore. She set the tip of the blade against her breast bone, looking out the window solemnly.

She whispered to Emmett as if he could hear her words, "I love you too." Then, before she lost her nerve, she plunged the knife into her heart.