He laughed. “Don’t worry; you are not to be blemished before the ritual.”
Like her nightmare of being eaten by wolves.
He opened the door and called to a fellow henchman. “This is Varg our beta who serves as the graveyard’s bonekeeper.”
Varg wore a similar robe with the wolf paw pentagram symbol. His black eyes met hers. “An honor.”
“Can’t say the same about meeting any of you.”
“Take her to the circle and prepare her.” He smiled at her. “I will see you soon.”
Varg bowed. “Yes, master.” He grabbed her, his hands clawed. “Come.”
They walked down a long hallway to a set of double doors. They passed a chamber where people chanted incantations in a language she didn’t recognize. Varg pushed the door open. In a circle, cleared of snow and surrounded by trees, a pile of bones laid beneath a vertical wooden wall equipped with shackles, where she would be tied, no doubt to be drained of blood. “No welcoming committee?”
Varg grinned, baring long fangs. “They are preparing for the sacrifice.”
How much time do I have to plan an escape? “Are you okay with a human ordering you around?”
“He is Stallo’s prodigy.”
“Does your alpha agree?”
Varg sneered. “Our alphas were killed by Chernobyl Werewolf. Master Calopus is our alpha.” He narrowed his eyes. “How ironic, I was assigned here by the lycan council.”
A traitor. “You switched sides?”
“I’m a believer. Our legacy is to rule the packs and someday mankind.” He smiled. “You will make it possible.”
“Wouldn’t you be better off if I’m kept alive to donate blood? Especially, since there aren’t many like me.”
“Mia, another Stallo woman, will be taken for the next sacrifice. Her infant will bring forth great magic. By then, we will locate others.”
“You would murder a child?”
“Yes. The child will be bled as well.”
Her reaction to the horror of them murdering a woman and her baby sent her raw emotions cascading into what felt like the worse headache yet. As if that wasn’t enough pain, her lower back and the base of her tail bone spasmed. She screamed and her legs collapsed.
Varg hauled her up. “What’s wrong with you?”
Rachel stood, her legs still wobbly, and shook her head. Her heartbeat thrashed in her ears. Two hearts. Wait one of the hearts was not hers, but Varg’s. She could hear it. Rachel wrinkled her nose. He smelled of death and deer. Yes, definitely venison. How did she know? She’d only eaten venison once. “Let go of me,” Rachel growled.
Varg’s eyes widened. “Can’t be?”
Fur lined her body, her nails turned into large claws. Her red gown ripped, then fell like bloody feathers. A snarl escaped her as she broke away. She groaned. “Nooo.”
He grabbed her and brandished a dagger. “You fooled us!” He didn’t move in, but howled. An alarm to attract the others.
Without thought, she slashed his throat with her clawed hand. He stared at her as he fell to his knees while holding his ripped throat in an attempt to stop the fountain of blood spraying out. She licked the blood that splattered her mouth. Warm. Metallic. Not gross. Agreeable.
Rachel’s wolf eyes stared at him and then glanced down to her wolf legs and paws. Oh, my god. Lev told her humans never turned into werewolves from a bite. Had he lied? I must be dreaming.
A chorus of howls returned Varg’s distress call.
Her hackles rose as Calopus and his ilk exited the stone building.
Survival instinct drove her. She tucked her tail between her legs and dashed toward the snow laden forest.