Soul of the Wolves

Prologue

Tonight was a beautiful night for grave robbing.

The sky was clear. The gentle breeze was nice and relaxing. The moonlight was bright with the star-showered constellation framing the sky, while the cicadas sang a midsummer symphony in the background. It was a picture-perfect evening to do anything but nefarious deeds.

Susan “Sookie” Alkin grabbed a shovel from the trunk of her car and hefted it over her shoulder, all while cursing her younger brother in silence. This is the last time I do something this crazy. No more. I’ve had it. I won’t bail out his antics after this. He has to grow up and he needs to start taking some responsibilities.

But when her gaze collided with her younger brother, Jesse, her anger evaporated in an instant. He always had that effect on her. Jesse was her soft spot. Her weakness. Their mother’s dying wish echoed inside her head, “People come and go, Sookie, but bloods are forever. Watch out for your brothers for me.”

As her mom whispered those last words, she had no idea that Dad and John had already passed. Her parents had taken John, Jesse’s twin, to the ER for a sprained ankle and on the way there, an eighteen-wheeler T-boned their sedan in a practically deserted intersection. The impact killed Dad and John instantly. Mom was in critical condition when Sookie and Jesse arrived frantically in the hospital. Mom was conscious for a short time before she slipped into a coma. Three days later, Mom died, leaving her and Jesse orphaned. Sookie was seventeen years old at that time, Jesse only seven. For the past nine years, Sookie had practically raised her brother on her own.

And it hadn’t been easy.

Jesse was too mischievous for his own good.

He kept getting into problems one after another. Even if he was trying to be a good boy. As his older sister, Sookie was obligated to keep him out of trouble. After all, Jesse was the only one she had left in the world.

Why can’t he be a good kid and hold a normal job? Sookie often lamented. Her brother Jesse had just celebrated his sixteenth birthday last month and he had an incredibly short attention span. He was a bright kid but got easily bored. When he got bored he stuck his nose where it didn’t belong and so far, nothing good had ever come from that.

Jesse gusted a long-suffered teen-age sigh. “I know, I know. You’re thinking I’m incredibly stupid for doing this. I’m an irresponsible kid, yada yada yada,” he drawled. His voice dripped with regrets that never lasted. “Trust me, if I knew somebody else I could ask for help, I wouldn’t dream of asking you to do this. You’re my only hope, sis. Plus, I know you’re the only person who’d never rat me out. You think Steve and Matt would keep this to themselves if I ask for their help? They’d brag about this on Snapchat.”

Jesse’s best friends, Steve and Matt, were equally as airheaded as he was. Steve was worse because he seemed to be stoned most of the time. Luckily, Jesse stayed away from pot. He hated smoke and the taste of alcohol. Sookie often thanked God for small miracles.

Without saying a word, Sookie skewered Jesse with her famous death glare. Her brother was only sixteen but he was already a foot taller than her. His body was fit and toned because he played football at school. He was a running back. But despite his brawny build he possessed an angelic face. He was the reflection of their late father when their dad was young. From the light, golden, straw color of his hair, to his baby-blue eyes and Patrician nose. Even his easy smile.

Jesse appeared to be immune to her scowl. He grinned boyishly because he knew she couldn’t stay mad at him, no matter how big of a mess he got her into.

Sookie cursed silently again.

I should have been more firm with him. I should have spanked him more often when he was young. I shouldn’t be helping him to dig a grave in the middle of the night. What if we get caught? Who’s going to post bail? We don’t have anybody else. It just me and him against the world.

“I’m sorry, sis. I swear I won’t do this anymore,” he whined.

“Talk is cheap, Jesse.”

“I mean it.”

She sighed.

They were poor, basically living from paycheck to paycheck. She worked as inventory loader in a home improvement store, and lately, her employer had been cutting hours due to the recession. She couldn’t afford any surprise expenses. Money was tight as it was.

“Tell me why we’re doing this again?” she asked.

“I need to retrieve a package that Zeke hid in the coffin. You know Zeke, right?”

She nodded. “Your boss’s son.”

“Then you know I can’t say no to him. After all, he’s the one who got me this job. Zeke had a fight with Mr. Burke all day yesterday. Mr. Burke confiscated Zeke’s stuff and even seriously did a pat-down before Zeke left so he can’t carry his goods out—“

“Wait a minute, slow down. Goods? What do you mean by goods?”

He made face. “I don’t know.”

“Jesse!”

“I seriously don’t know. I heard Zeke did some dealing on the side. My guess is he’s moving some pot.”

Sookie went ramrod straight. “Are you telling me we’re about to desecrate a grave to dig up a package of marijuana?”

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