Greatest Curse (Book 2)

Mystery Wolf

My heart was in my throat, fear dominating my veins, consuming my entire being. I started backing up when the wolf suddenly stepped away from the pile of torn flesh, blood and bone and started stalking toward me, blood matting its dark fur and dripping off its muzzle.

Steel gray orbs pierced me, and before I knew it, the creature was standing directly in front of me, and yet, I didn't feel threatened. If anything, I felt calm. I sensed no evil, no threatening vibes radiating off of this monster of a wolf, gray eyes full of knowledge and reassurance that kept me rooted, anchored to sanity.

And that is what frightened me.

"Jaxon!" that familiar, genderless voice screamed out to me again, and that painful crack resonated throughout my entire being. Wincing, I grabbed at my chest hoping to ease the ache as my eyes met those of the wolf's.

"He needs you. Run, Jaxon. They will kill him. Go!" the wolf suddenly shouted in my mind, his voice rattling my nerves. At least now I knew this wolf was male, and a very powerful one. One look at him and you can tell he is a beast, but hearing his voice only confirmed how powerful he is.

Clutching my head, I snuck a glance at the wolf to see that he'd now returned to his human form. Still a silhouetted figure I knew was familiar, yet I couldn't place from where or how I knew him.

"Go!" he shouted at me, pointing left to a pathway through the trees. Gathering my footing, I scrambled forward and ran to the trees, the genderless voice becoming louder and clearer as thunder crackled overhead.

"Jaxon!" the voice screamed, and I lost my footing, collapsing to my knees.

The rain pelted down on me, and I could feel the familiar sensation of my heart shattering; my body involuntarily shaking from the shock I was receiving. Blood coated my hands, soaked my clothes, tears streaming down my face and mixing with rainwater. The pounding in my head...

It was all too familiar.

Three headstones, instead of two. And I was kneeling before the one in the middle.

Lightening flashed, and thunder boomed. I raised my head and stared at the headstone before me. Lightening flashed again, illuminating the darkness around me.

"Jaxon!" the voice screamed, and now, I recognized it.

His voice called out to me, and I knew I had failed him too.

His name neatly, and carefully engraved on the headstone, driving stakes and bullet holes into my soul, his memory strapping me down with thousand-tonne chain link.

ASHER STONE.

I couldn't get it out of my head.

Clutching the sides of my head, my breathing laboured, I sat still for a moment or two practicing the breathing exercises my therapist had taught me to use whenever I fell into rage so deep, or like now, woke up from a horrific nightmarish experience.

It felt so real. How was it possible?

And why now? For an entire year, it had been the same dream. Some things may have differed dream to dream, but it was always the same. It had always ended the same, with Bentley's cold, battered, corpse in my arms.

Why did it change so suddenly? Did the arrival of this wolf have anything to do with it and why Asher?

Why when I finally learned to be happy again? To love?

Wiping away the fresh tears that fell from my eyes, I shuffled around, grabbed up the blankets and pillows placing them on the bed before making my way to the bathroom. I took a quick shower before heading downstairs, the sound of voices taking me to the kitchen first. I greeted Maia and Darcy with a warm good morning, smile and all hoping that it would distract them from the torment in my eyes.