The Legacy of Kilkenny (50 page)

She took a flying leap out of my window, I ran to look out, and she was gone.

PRU

I packed up my bags, struggling to keep my emotions from competing with my logic.
 
It was time to move past this chapter and go forward to my destiny.
 
No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t understand how my father died.
 
The hunting crew was leaving in the morning and I intend to be on the RV with them.
 
I was going to avenge my father’s death, which was certain.
 

When Abel showed back up at the farm with his parents, it was clear what would happen next.
 
Their safety would always be in jeopardy as long as we didn’t make it clear to other Supers out there that werewolves are the superior race, and we will not allow it to be broken.
 
His mom and dad were flabbergasted in the beginning, until his father admitted to hearing of an uncle that was a
were
, he always believed it to be a fable but now it was clear from where the recessive gene came.
 
I was furious with Arien over him turning Allie into a vampire.
 
A part of me mourned for the friendship that never would be.
 
The girl with the haunted eyes that loved fashion, she was gone to be an unnatural killer.
 
After I find and kill the person responsible for my father, I’ll hunt for the cure for Allie… if it isn’t too late.

The hardest part of all, the part that hurt the most, the one thing that I was so sure of, the one person I always turned to, my beautiful Oakley, I wasn’t sure of anymore.
 
My thoughts taunted me, I couldn’t help but wonder how my dad wasn’t protected.
  
Why wasn’t Oakley any better at protecting him?
 
I couldn’t shake it, no matter what I did.
 
The one I was imprinted with was the one that would hurt the most.
 
I couldn’t help it, I had to go.

The sun came up over the horizon, hazy with promised heat for the day.
 
The Pack all met outside to see me and the hunting crew of five off.
 
 
Parker, Jake (the Alpha from Dallas), Chris, Dennis, and I.
 
Oakley watched me confused and finally realization set in that I was going with them, and I hadn’t said anything to him.
 
I told him I was sorry but I had to go, I had to be the one to bring my father’s murderer to justice.
 
I hugged him as the tears spilled from my eyes.

I turned and put my arms around Abel, “Abel, I love you more then I’ll ever be able to say.
 
You’re pretty perfect in my book.
 
Take care of everyone, you’re going to be a great leader Abe.
 
You’ve taught me more than anyone ever has and I look forward to this new regime with you as the leader.
 
Keep an eye on Oakley, he’s going to need your friendship now more than ever.
 
For what it’s worth, I think Chrissy is a great girl.”
 
I kissed him on the cheek.

“You sure are making it sound like you’re not coming back.”
 
Abel said.

“I hope I am back soon, but after what happened to my dad, I just don’t know.”
 
I turned and looked at everyone and yelled.
 
“If I hear you give Abel a tough time while I’m gone, I will kick your ass, and you know I can.”

As we drove off, I watched them through the RV’s window; my heart was shattering into a million pieces.
 
What the future would hold, I didn’t know; but I knew this was just the beginning and tomorrow was just a day away.

###

Keep reading for a

SNEAK PEEK OF BOOK TWO

The first three chapters of

MALEVOLENCE

AVAILABLE 1/17/2012

Chapter 1.
 
Bitten

“
She had scarcely spoken it before the cat sprang on her, seized her, and swallowed her down.
 
You see, that is the way of the world.” ~ Cat and Mouse in Partnership - Grimm’s Household Tales

ABEL

 
“How many does that make, five?
  
We have five new
weres
in a matter of two weeks?”
 
I asked Oakley.

 
“Six Abel, it makes six.
 
I sent Bryon down to Dallas to interview a few members of their pack to find out if they knew anything.”
 
Oakley said in his Oklahoma drawl.
 
“I talked to Dolly via Skype earlier and she said if you need her to come back, she will.”

 
I crossed the room and plopped down on the brown leather sofa.
 
“No.
 
I’ve got this.
 
She’s been through too much over the last six months.
 
She’s only been gone for a week; I’m not going to have her come back so soon.”
 
I don’t know if I was trying to convince him or me, but I had no choice but to figure this all out.
 
I’m the Great Wolf and damn if I’m going to run for help every five minutes. “I heard from Pru earlier today, actually at two this morning.
 
She arrived in Paris and is going to spend the next ten days with her mom and then go back on the hunt.”
 
I’d been wondering if she had called Oakley and told him what her plans are, but I’ve tried to stay out of it.

 
“Yeah, she called me after she got off the phone with you.
 
I’m good.
 
Seriously,” Oakley said as he leaned over and put on his cowboy boots.

 
He wasn’t fooling me; I knew it was killing him with her gone.
 
Hell, it’d been a month since she stopped at the farm to visit and get supplies.
 
“So, we have six new werewolves that have been bitten.
 
You do realize that we still have two of them locked in the tornado shelter?”

 
“Dungeon, they are in the dungeon,” he said as he pulled his keys out of his pocket.
 
“I’m
gonna
take a ride over to pick up some supplies for the horses.
 
Wanna
go with me?”

 
I debated it for a nanosecond.
 
“Sure.
 
Eventually I’ll be able to pick up stuff for the horses and know what I’m talking about.”
 
It was a little embarrassing that I’m supposed to take
 
over a farm and wasn’t sure what the horses ate.

 
“Keep telling yourself that.”
 
Oakley laughed and patted me on the shoulder.

 
“Oh shut up.
 
You suck.”
 
I pretended to flick his hand off of me.

 
I threw on my leather jacket but didn’t zip it up.
 
It was noon and the Oklahoma sun was beaming brightly as it bounced off the lingering snow from the weekend.
 
I had wanted to go with my parents on a cruise to the Bahamas but Oakley reminded me in his not-so-subtle way that I was too busy.
 
If I were honest with myself, I’d admit my parents seemed a bit giddy about going alone.
 
I kept hearing my mom say things like the honeymoon she never had.
 
Yeah, that visual made me want to poke my own eyes out.

 
Shortly after learning about my wolf status, I asked my dad to quit his job so he could be better protected. He didn’t argue; apparently he turned in his two week notice the next day.
 
These days he spent most of his time hanging out with the I.T. guys and learning everything he could about our set up.
 
Mom cut back her hours at the Indian Reservation but she couldn’t give up her patients.
 
After some research and verification through the council, we found out that the Reservation was protected with Indian charms that were practically impossible to penetrate. Their two week trip would be good for them and it would be great for me to know they’re out of the line of fire.

Chapter 2. Big Bob’s

“Many hours went by whilst she was seeing everything, and in her delight she did not observe that the ship was sailing away.” Faithful John ~ Grimm’s Household Tales

 
“Dude, do you have heat in this thing?”
 
I asked as I zipped up my jacket and blew on my fingers to warm them up.

 
“You have got to be the coldest blooded werewolf I have ever known.
 
It isn’t going to blow hot air until it warms up a little.”
 
Oakley said as he shifted the huge truck into drive.
 
“Hey, grab my sunglasses out of the glove compartment, the snow is blinding me.”
 
He turned on the stereo making me listen to his 1980’s music.
 
He’d recently taken up listening to Madonna and Prince; thanks to my mom.

 
The two mile jaunt down the country roads was so much prettier in the spring and summer.
 
The trees were naked and void of life for a few more weeks, and then they would start to bud again.
 
I noticed a wild hog darting between trees, peeking around the trees like he was playing a game of hide and seek.
 

 
Big Bob’s Feed and Stuff looked like a giant red barn.
 
At first glance you may mistake the façade as wooden with its white trim and giant barn doors, but it was another product of technology.
 
Once you pulled up into the giant parking lot you could tell that there were average doors that were the entrance and exit.
 
Oakley had told me the place was once a real barn but burned down about three years ago.
 
The insurance money gave them enough to build a state-of-the-art facility that only looked like a barn.
 

 
I pushed the door open and the aroma of freshly brewed coffee enveloped my senses. It seems that farmers had as much a coffee addiction as the coffee addicts that go to Starbucks.
 
Big Bob (his real name was George, I never knew the story about Bob) had a fancy coffee shop set up in one corner.
 
It had an old fashioned soda fountain look to it.
 
There were a few booths and barstools for the counter seating for people to sit and sip coffee while talking about their crops.
 

 
Oakley sent me over to grab us a couple of coffees, heavy on the cream.
 
Imogene, the waitress was dressed in an old fashioned waitress uniform, pink with a white apron tied around her non-existent waist.

 
“Abel, what can I get you love?”
 
Imogene said to me and licked her painted on red lips.

 
Imogene had a way that always made my cougar-
dar
flip on. “I need two large snicker doodle coffees, heavy on the cream.”
 
I replied and gave her a friendly but not flirty smile.

 
“Oh, you must have that tall dark and handsome Oakley with you.
 
You tell him if he leaves before telling his future sugar mama Imogene hello, I’m
gonna
flatten his tires.”
 
Imogene said and cackled to herself for a minute.
 
“I’m just
kiddin
’ sugar.
 
Not about him
comin
’ over and
sayin
’ hello but I won’t flatten his tires.
 
Just him,” she said and winked at me.