Blood Line

Rie McGaha

Noble Romance Publishing, LLC

www.nobleromance.com Blood Line ISBN 978-1-60592-011-5 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Blood Line Copyright 2008 Rie McGaha Cover Art by Fiona Jayde This book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any existing means without written permission from the publisher. Contact Noble Romance Publishing, LLC at PO Box 467423, Atlanta, GA 31146. This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. The characters are products of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously. Trademark Acknowledgements The author(s) acknowledge the trademark status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction: Jeep Wrangler – Chrysler LLC LTD Corporation Coke – The Coca-Cola Company Pringles – Procter & Gamble Company Superman – Warner Communications, Inc. McDonalds – McDonald's Corporation Kool-Aid – Kraft Foods Holdings, Inc. Dedication For my best friend, Candi Duncan, who has contributed in so many ways.

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Blood Line

Prologue Each of us inherently knows our history, which is handed down through the blood, just as eye or hair color is genetically encoded. We are part of the Great Beginning, when the earth was new and mortals did not yet exist. In those days, we roamed wherever we willed, and had no natural enemies. We were fierce, and loyal and proud. We took but one mate, and should our mate die, we took no other. In those days, before human footsteps marred the land, there existed beings that people now think to be imaginary, as we are also supposedly imaginary. They were the fae, fairy princes, witches, and sorcerers, all of whom moved about in their own world beyond, and occasionally, in this one as well. One of them, Ariel, a magical princess in her own right, who possessed the gift to heal, moved in our world, gathering what she needed and using those items to heal in both worlds. Normally, we would never have occasion to meet, though, of course, we knew of one another. This magical princess was beyond anything the wolf, Ocala, had ever known—kind, soft of touch, gentle of speech. She appeared in our world one summer night during the full moon, necessary because the flowers and herbs she needed were best when harvested beneath the soft light. And it was on this same night that Ocala had chosen to approach her, driven by nothing more than curiosity. Different from any other creature that walked upon the earth, she attracted him like no other, and his desire for her grew beyond all reason. Ocala was large and muscular, his fur as black as the night and his eyes as golden as the sun. Walking on quiet paws, he moved through the shadows of trees, following her, watching her, inhaling her scent. She was intoxicating, and 3

Rie McGaha he was drinking on an empty stomach. She made her way through the forest as softly as the moonlight that bathed her, and her long, blonde hair swayed gently as she moved. She wore a sheer white gown, with thin straps that kept slipping off her shoulders. The bodice dipped low and revealed the pale, creamy skin of her breasts, and the fabric clung to her flat stomach and flared with her hips, then fell down the back of her legs to her ankles, but only to her knees in the front, revealing shapely, well-toned calves and dainty bare feet. Mesmerized by her, Ocala could not pull himself away from her. As she knelt before the patch of moonflowers, he stopped, no longer hidden in the shadows, and sat back on his haunches to watch her. Very slowly, she turned her head and smiled at him. She whispered to him. Whispered his name. And he approached her. Closer. One slow step at a time. Closer still. His name became a breath on the breeze as she called to him again, the sound of her voice like music to his ears. He approached her slowly and she remained where she was. Bathed in moonlight, her diaphanous gown and hair of silk moving in the wind. They looked into one another's eyes, and she reached for him. Tentatively, so very carefully, she reached for him. She touched him, and he heard her quiet gasp when her soft hand met his fur. She petted him, moving her hand timidly, at first, across the top of his head. He didn’t so much as breathe. Stroking his ears, she grew bolder, letting her hand slip down his neck, run across the muscles of his shoulders. She made soft noises while she touched him, and he lay down and put his head on her lap. From that day forward, she came to the forest each evening and he would meet her there. As they walked together, she spoke to him as if she knew he understood, even though he still hadn’t revealed himself fully to her. Her people warned her against their relationship, she told him. She had

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Blood Line crossed the line into forbidden territory. Yet she continued to come to him; he was her friend, and she saw no such line between them. But Ocala's intentions toward her went beyond friendship. He wanted her. He had never taken a mate, and he knew that he had waited for this woman alone, but he could not see how, given the form in which each existed—he, wolf, she, witch—that they could be together. But he would not give her up. In those days, evil had not yet come into the world, and for a time, all was well. But then came the mortals, who walked upon the earth, bringing with them deceit, destruction, and all manner of evil doings. They came in small numbers, at first. None who were on the earth took the time to notice them in those early days, but before long, they could not be ignored. At first, there were two, the man and woman, living in their own paradise, never venturing out, harming none. When they did venture from their paradise, they multiplied, and their sons were the beginning of the world's demise. The elder killed the younger and though he was banned from their garden, he found a woman of his own and the years were short before the world was filled with more just like him. They came to the forests, killing the trees, killing for food, killing for fun, and that was just the beginning of their depravity. It multiplied faster than the humans, themselves did, and their imagination for evil knew no bounds. But Ocala and Ariel ignored the warnings. In their world, in the cool of the night, beneath starlit skies, they saw none but each other. And on one of those nights, Ocala revealed his truth to her and she embraced him with all the love she had felt in her heart. And there, in the deep of the night, they made their plan. He a wolf and she a witch. A witch who had followed all of the old ways, for hers was a people that had existed long before the earth had come to be. She knew the spells, she knew it was a rule she should not break, and never had she before, but this time, just this one time . . . . They met each night beneath the starlit sky during the full moon, when

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Rie McGaha magic was strong, for when the lunar planet rose full and bright on this night, she would cast the spell that would bring them both the happiness and fulfillment they sought. At the appropriate time, she stood beneath the moon, in the circle she had cast, the flames from candles shooting gold and silver into the sky. The flowers she had chosen lay as she had placed them, and she began the chant. Softly, almost a song in its rhythm. Raising her arms toward the moon, she arched her body, head thrown back in wild abandon to her craft. The wind swirled leaves around the forest floor and she reached for the wolf. He walked into the circle with her as she had instructed and raised himself onto his hind legs, placing a paw on each of her shoulders. She brought her arms down to encircle him as she continued the chant, louder and louder, building to a crescendo that had thunder rolling and lightning flashing. And in one brilliant explosion of white light, wolf became man. As quickly as the light exploded, both witch and newly made man were summoned to Ariel’s world, to find themselves standing together before the Council. The Elders pleaded with the witch, they tried reasoning with the man, but neither would yield. This was the life they wanted, the life they chose, and they could not be persuaded to undo the deed. But, with all great prizes, there comes a great price. If they chose to remain together, their love would pay a toll: upon the full moon of every month, the man would become wolf once more, and any children they made together, half wolf and half witch, they too, would suffer the curse of becoming wolf on the full moon. While in wolf form, they would crave the taste of blood, no matter if they resisted. So it was done and both man and witch were tossed back to the forest floor. But as with all young lovers, they, too, believed their love alone was strong enough to break the unholy spell. Yet, as much as they loved, every

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Blood Line month, on the full moon, man became wolf. His muscles would stretch beyond his mortal form, and fur would appear. His head would elongate as the snout appeared, and teeth became fangs, yet he was not completely wolf, nor was he man. He was some grander form. Stronger, faster, bigger, more agile and cunning than he had ever been in either form before. He had never known this freedom when he had been pure wolf, leaping heights as never before, soaring chasms impossible to cross, running at speeds heretofore unknown. But the thirst that grew within him was unquenchable, and the death and destruction he left in his path was unfathomed. From moonrise to sunrise during the full moon, he could not control the change any more than he could control his lust for blood. Then the sun would peak and the man would awake on the forest floor and the witch would be waiting to comfort him. To stroke. To hold. To love. But she could not undo that which had been done. She wept for the wolf, she wept for the man, she wept for herself. The dreams she'd had of love, of children, of a home . . . all of them shattered. Yet she loved the man, and she loved the wolf, with all that was within her, and the need that grew within her was her ultimate undoing. And the child they had created would be as much wolf as she was witch. Chapter One The semi truck rolled down the back roads, its engine loud in the still of the night, echoing across the pastures. Joshua Kaine preferred to make his trips at night when there was less traffic. His wife, Jessie, rode with him and shared the driving, but tonight she sat staring out the window across pastures that slid quickly by. The moon was full, illuminating the fields, and she could see a black shape move in the dim light. A horse or cow, she thought, as the beast raised its head. Then, suddenly, the animal started moving, catching up to the truck easily,

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Rie McGaha loping alongside the barbed wire fence at a steady pace. "What is that?" Jessie asked, peering intently out the window. "A horse?" "I dunno, can't see it," Josh said. She shrieked. "It's not a horse! It jumped the fence!" "Horses can jump," he said without much interest. "Horses cannot outrun a semi!" Josh leaned over the steering wheel and peered into the deepening shadows, only to draw back as the beast thudded against the passenger side door and clung to it. He slammed on the breaks, punched in the clutch and downshifted. "What the hell is that?" He grabbed Jessie's arm. "Pull the door handle! I’m gonna try to get that thing off the truck." She pulled the handle and the latch disengaged. He grabbed her arm and pulled, but the seatbelt held her fast. She fumbled with the latch, finally managed to release it, and then slid between the seats to the floor. Josh pushed the gearshift into neutral, and with one hand on the steering wheel, slid across the cab and kicked the door as hard as he could. It swung out and he scooted back into his seat, hitting the breaks hard, hoping he wouldn't jack-knife as the truck hopped and bounced to a sudden stop, slinging his wife and everything that wasn't secured, forward. The beast lost its hold and flew through the air, bounced off the hood, rolled and landed twenty yards up the road. Josh held his breath and waited, but the thing didn't move. "Is it dead?" Jessie asked and pushed herself off the floor. "I don't know." Josh caught a gear and the truck rolled slowly forward. He was changing gears as he approached where the animal lay in the road. Suddenly, the beast rose to its hands and knees, looking almost human. "You're going to hit it!" Jessie said. "I don't give a damn." He clenched his teeth and pushed the accelerator to

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Blood Line the floor. The animal disappeared from view and the front end of the tractor thumped and shuddered as it ran over the figure. The truck limped forward a few feet, and then the front end shuddered. "Fuck. Stay in the truck, Jess," he said. He swung the cab door open and jumped to the ground, grabbing the knife he kept sheathed by his seat. The weapon, made from heavy, folded steel, had a twelve-inch blade with a curved tip. Josh gripped the bone handle in his fist. Jess had a fit about him keeping it in the truck, but Josh had wanted some type of protection. He had practiced kendo and sword fighting since he was a teenager, and considered himself adept at the art, but he felt better having some type of weapon in the truck, and now, holding it in his hand, he felt reassured by its weight. "No, don't . . . ," Jessie said. "Just stay in the truck," Josh told her, and slammed the door shut on her objections. Jessie leaned forward, staring through the windshield, but she couldn't see anything over the nose of the truck. Then she saw the huge, black animal crawling slowly into the beam of the headlights, and her breath caught. The beast looked dazed more than injured. Her husband slid around the side of the truck, took two slow steps forward, the knife held at his side. The animal shook its head and then began slowly to get to its feet. The look on the creature's face made Jessie's blood run cold and a shiver of fear raced up her spine. She bailed out of the truck screaming, "Josh-u-a!" "Damn it," Josh yelled, "get back in the truck!" But Jessie couldn't move. She watched in horror as Josh lunged for the animal, plunging the knife deep into its belly. The beast reacted immediately, swinging one huge paw in a powerhouse blow that sent Josh flying through the air. He landed hard on the pavement, flat of his back.

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Rie McGaha Jessie wanted to rush forward and help him, but her feet felt rooted to the spot. Josh rose on his elbows, trying to drag a breath into his lungs, trying to get his wits together. Blood covered his hands, and the knife felt slippery in his grip. He quickly wiped his palms on his jeans as he struggled to his feet. He turned to resume his attack on the beast. But before he could react, the animal moved. With lightning-fast speed, it pounced, landing on Jessie. It knocked her to the ground and straddled her between its four enormous legs. Jessie screamed and pummeled the beast's chest. She kicked her feet, fighting for her life, as the creature raised its head skyward and let loose an earshattering howl. Snarling, it lowered its snout and bared long, razor-sharp fangs inches from Jessie's neck. With a roar, Josh leapt upon the beast's back and slid the knife into its throat. Jessie rolled out of harm's way as the creature turned, trying to fling Josh off its back. Josh locked his legs around its torso and plunged the knife into the animal's neck and throat, over and over again. The animal howled in rage, and then sank its fangs into Josh's shoulder. "Ahhhh!" Josh’s scream pierced the night and brought Jess back to her senses. She picked up a fallen limb from the side of the road and began hitting the animal with it as hard as she could. The creature released its grip on Josh and went for the limb. Josh jumped on the animal's back, and began thrusting the knife into its throat. The creature fell to its knees, and Josh grabbed a handful of fur and pulled its head back. With one swift slice, he cut through the carotid artery and the windpipe. When the animal fell backward, Josh kept cutting until he'd severed its head. Holding the head in his hand, Josh stared at it mutely, his breathing heavy and labored. Without warning, the severed head burst into flames. Josh slung it into the air, watching as both head and body burst into flames. The fire

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Blood Line grew larger, hot and bright, shooting blue, red, and then white flames into the night sky. As the fire fizzled out, ash filled the air. "Come on!" Josh grabbed Jess's hand and pulled her to her feet. "We have to get out of here; there might be more of them. Come on!" He dragged her roughly behind him to the door of the truck, pushing her up in front of him. He went back to check the front of the semi to make sure the tires were intact, then climbed into the driver's seat and fired up the engine. Lighting a cigarette with shaky hands, he dragged the smoke deep into his lungs. "Give me one," Jessie said weakly. He handed her the one he'd just lit and lit another for himself. She inhaled, choked and coughed, then handed it back to him. "I don't smoke." "I know." He took the cigarette, pitched it out the window then put the truck in gear. They started down the road, driving in silence for the better part of an hour. When Josh found a place he could get the truck safely off the road, he pulled to a stop. "I've got to get out of these clothes and my shoulder aches like a bitch in heat," he said. Stepping into the sleeper area, he turned on the overhead lamp. Jessie followed him, her gasp drawing his attention to his torn and stained shirt. Blood covered his clothes, his skin, and even his hair, and he briefly wondered how much belonged to him, and how much had come from that thing he'd killed back there on the road. "Take those off outside," Jessie said. "Hell, no!" "Josh, just step outside and take the damn clothes off! You're going to get blood all over the bed. I'll go with you." Josh lit another cigarette, cursing a blue streak as he got out of the truck.

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Rie McGaha "I heard that," Jessie called after him. "Bitch," he said, but he was smiling, and he kissed her when she climbed down behind him carrying a couple small, white trash bags. He peeled off his shirt and handed it to her. "This is beyond help," she said, dropping it into one of the bags. She wrapped the rest of his clothing in the other bag and tossed it back up into the cab. She got a gallon jug of water and began helping him wash off the blood. With a cloth, she wiped his shoulder. "Nothing life-threatening," she told him, "but a couple of these puncture wounds look pretty deep." Josh eyed his scratched and bruised body as Jessie poured peroxide freely over the wounds. The cleansing agent foamed and bubbled, burning like a bitch, and Josh cursed again as Jessie poured on more. Finally, she allowed him to climb back into the truck. He went into the back and put on clean clothes. Damn, his shoulder hurt. He winced against the pain as he stuck his arm through a sleeve. "I'll drive, baby," Jessie said softly and kissed his cheek. Nodding, he sat back heavily in the passenger seat, and lit a cigarette while Jessie started up the semi and put it in gear. Jessie drove through the rest of the night and just as the sun began to rise, she wheeled into a truck stop, and backed into a slot in the rear of the parking lot. Jess let the engine idle and released her seatbelt, then wearily stepped into the sleeper area and sat on the bed. They were well equipped with a TV, DVD player, Play Station, refrigerator, microwave, coffee maker, and other conveniences that made the truck their home. Pouring water into the coffee maker, Jessie measured out the grounds, and placed them in the machine so she

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Blood Line would just have to press the on button when they woke up. Josh stepped in the back with her and she pulled the blackout curtains around the windshield and door windows for privacy and darkness so they could sleep. Then she helped Josh pull the T-shirt over his head. "That shoulder isn't looking any better," she said, reaching for the bottle of peroxide. She poured a liberal amount on his wound and waited while it bubbled, and then wiped if off. She followed this cleansing by applying a liberal amount of anti-biotic cream from the first aid kit. "You need to see a doctor. That thing could've had rabies," she told him as she taped a gauze pad over the freshly cleaned wound. "I don't need a doctor," he said, shaking his head and waving the idea away. "You need a tetanus shot, too," she said, ignoring his objection. "I need some sleep. I'll be fine when I wake up." He pulled the blanket back and slid between the sheets. Jess slipped out of her clothing and slid in beside her husband. She loved the feel of her skin against his, and after ten years of marriage, she still loved him as intensely as she did when they were first married right out of high school. She'd met him her junior year when her family had moved from California to Oklahoma. He'd been born and raised in the same town where his father had been born and raised, and although all of the girls in school were attracted to him, he didn't seem very interested in them. He was quiet and appeared a little shy around strangers, especially girls, but Jessie had been attracted to him since she first saw him in Mrs. Baker's English class. He wasn't very tall – only an inch or so taller than she – and he wore his hair as long as she wore hers. But her blonde hair hung straight, while his dark auburn locks hung in tight ringlets. Her eyes were blue, and his were the same color green as the ocean she had grown up near in northern California. After waiting nearly two weeks for him to make the first move, it didn't

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Rie McGaha appear he was ever going to speak to her, and in fact, he seemed to look away from her whenever she tried to get his attention, so she cornered him one day after school while he was at his locker. He didn't say too much, but she did. And every day after that she'd catch him at his locker, or if he managed to avoid her at the locker, she'd wait for him at his car. Finally, he offered to give her a ride home, and as simple as that, they'd become an item and hadn't been separated since. That was nearly twelve years ago, and she still considered him the sexiest man she'd ever known. He made her feel things she never dreamed possible, and the first time they'd made love had been the first time for them both. Jessie never regretted not having shopped around a little more before deciding on Josh. Now, as she lay next to him in the darkness of the sleeper, she wrapped around his sleeping body and closed her eyes. When she woke, she switched the light on and looked at the clock. Nine hours had slipped by and she needed to get the truck on the road. She shook Josh, but he didn't respond. "Come on, we've got to get going," she said and shook him harder. He moaned and she moved her hand to his face and felt the heat on his brow. He was running a fever. She slid from beneath the covers, and threw on her clothes. Rummaging through the first-aid kit, she found a bottle of fever reducer and filled a glass of water from one of the jugs. "Josh, baby, here, you need to take these." He opened his eyes and she helped him lift his head enough to swallow down the medicine, then she pulled back the bandage to get a look at his wound. "Holy shit. Dammit. I told you. You need to go to the doctor; it's infected." Her stomach tightened with worry as she examined the pussy, red-ringed wound. "No," he murmured. "No doctor."

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Blood Line "Look, you're sick and you won't be able to drive or anything else in this condition. I'm getting you to a doctor." He grabbed her hand, squeezing it hard. "No doctor," he whispered again and kissed the back of her hand. "Okay, okay," she said. Josh hated doctors, had an irrational fear of them. "But if you aren't better by the time we make this drop, you go to the doctor, understand?" "Mmmm-hmmm." He moaned, whether in agreement or not, Jessie couldn't tell. And she didn't care. She would make sure he saw a doctor—one way or the other. Leaving him lying in the sleeper, she climbed back into the cab and got the truck ready to roll. Pulling out of the parking lot, she made the easy maneuver onto the freeway. The drive to Memphis was uneventful, but as she backed the semi into the dock, Josh still hadn't woken up. She sat with him while she waited for the truck to be unloaded, mopping his fevered brow with a wet cloth. She forced him to take two more pills, and decided she had waited long enough. When the truck was unloaded, she drove to a truck stop, parked the rig in the first slot she found, and used her cell phone to call a cab. A short while later, they arrived at the hospital, and Jessie gave the doctor a brief description of their encounter with a vicious dog. After the exam, the doctors admitted Josh, hooking him up to an IV filled with antibiotics. Then they waited. Two endlessly long days passed before Josh opened his eyes again. Chapter Two The moon rose full and bright, and the oaks cast shadows on the ground

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Rie McGaha like black giants. Coyotes howled in the distance and the night birds called to one another. Josh had felt restless all day. He'd been cooped up for over three weeks, and even though he hadn't felt like his old self for much of that time, this morning he'd felt better than he had in days. His muscles felt stronger, and a renewed strength coursed through his blood. He'd been able to get out of bed and do some chores around the yard, and that had helped his flagging spirits more than anything. But when he'd gone to bed that night, a restlessness consumed him. Turning toward Jessie, he watched as she slept. So beautiful, he thought. She still took his breath away, just like she had the first time he'd ever seen her. Back then, he'd been so scared, he'd done everything he could to avoid her. But for reasons he couldn't understand, she did everything she could to get his attention, and when that failed, she'd cornered him every chance she got. Until finally, he'd given her a ride home in his car. He could still remember that day as if it happened last week. They'd pulled up to her house and sat there talking for hours, until her father had come out and made him leave. After that, he gave her a ride home every day for weeks before he finally worked up the nerve to ask her to go to the movies with him, and she'd said yes. He remembered sitting in the darkened theater, sharing popcorn with her. Her body had been so close to his, their shoulders touching, and over half the movie passed before he’d worked up the nerve to slip an arm around her. Then she had just snuggled into him and laid her head over on his chest. He remembered how her hair had smelled of flowers and how he’d wanted that movie to go on forever. Afterward, they had driven out to the lake, sat on the hood of his car together, and during a lull in the conversation, she had leaned into him and kissed him. He lost his heart to her in that moment. Tracing his finger along her cheek and jaw line, Josh smiled when she stirred and curled into him. He kissed her gently, but then moved away from her and slid out of bed. He pulled up his jeans, leaving the top two buttons undone

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Blood Line on the 501's, and padded into the kitchen. He got a can of Coke out of the fridge, and stepped outside into the warm night air. Breathing deeply, he looked up at the moon about to rise full and round. He drained his soft drink as he studied the midnight sky. Leaving the empty can on the porch railing, he set out across the lawn toward the barn. Halfway there, he stopped, as a strange tingling sensation swept through him. The tingling quickly turned into a sharp pain and he doubled over. He fell to his knees, clutching his stomach, as pain seared every muscle in his body. He felt as if he was on fire, and he could feel his bones changing, growing somehow, cracking loudly. He watched in horror, the full moon bathing his skin in an eerie glow, as fur appeared on his arms, the backs of his hands, his face. His limbs elongated and his skin stretched tautly over muscles that were bunching, developing at a rapid rate. Breathing raggedly against the pain, he clutched at his chest. His fingernails grew and sharpened into claws. His head pounded as his neck expanded, and his jaw jutted forward as a snout began to form and fangs began to grow. Josh thrashed his legs as they lengthened. His calves swelled, and his thighs cramped as haunches began to take shape. When his jeans split at the seams, he flung them away, and the tail he'd grown wrapped limply around one leg. Exhausted, breathing heavily, Josh lay still until the pain began to subside. Tentatively, he took mental stock of his faculties. What the fuck had just happened? He stretched, feeling a renewed, almost supernatural strength rush through him. He jumped to his feet, suddenly feeling the urge to . . . to howl. Unable to resist, he threw his head back, shaking the silken mane of hair,

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Rie McGaha and howled into the night. All his senses were heightened, his sight so keen he could see even the smallest rodent, the bugs on the limbs of trees. He could hear sounds with a clarity he had never known, and identify every scent as it wafted on the breeze. Horse, cow, dog, rabbit, opossum, raccoon, armadillo, he could smell them all, hear them, identify where they were, what they were doing, the direction they were moving. Human scent hung on the air, as well. The scent of human male, spicy and wild, and the scent of human female, sweet and intoxicating. Driven by the need to move, to do, he headed toward the forest, walking upright, half man, half beast. He marveled at his height, at the soft fur covering his skin, at the breadth of his chest, and the power in his back, arms, and legs. He flexed his muscles, stretched his arms out, opened and closed his fists. His hands had become paw-like, yet he had thumbs, and complete use of them. Dropping to all fours, he began to run, slowly at first, testing his new body, finding his stride. Then he picked up speed and flew through the night, born on a rush of adrenaline. Faster and faster he ran, attaining a speed he had never dreamed possible. He ran for miles, never breaking a sweat, never losing his breath. Then the hunger assaulted his senses. A hunger unlike anything he'd ever experienced. A lust for flesh and blood. The desire to feed was overwhelming, and his first thought went to the scent of human. But he was still human. Wasn't he? He had the mind of a man, the logic, and the intelligence. He would not feed on his own kind, but the hunger quickly grew into a driving force. He had to feed, and soon. Coming to a stop, he listened, sniffed the air, and found what he was looking for: the scent of deer. Following his nose, he traveled deeper into the forest until he came upon a small glen. There, grazing on the few sparse blades of grass, were a doe and her fawn. But Josh wanted something bigger. He wanted the buck, and a few yards 18

Blood Line farther, he found him. The stag lifted his head, showing the whites of his eyes, and then took off like a shot. Josh threw his head back, and what should have been a laugh came out as a deep-throated howl. He loped after the buck, playing with him for a bit before easily catching him. He broke the animal’s neck with one swift twist of his powerful arm and sank his teeth into its throat. An hour later, nothing remained of the animal but hide and antlers. Josh spent the rest of the night running through the forest, testing his new senses, exploring new heights. He ran over hills, climbed trees, leapt fences and boulders as easily as stepping over a child's toy. It was a night unlike any other. All too soon, the darkness began to give way, and the pink hues of dawn began to break through the clouds. The wolf inside him sought a place to hide from daylight, and the man was left standing naked in a field of dew-covered clover. Walking through the fields, hiding behind trees when he spotted farmers feeding their animals, Josh headed toward home. He walked at least five miles before he finally reached his house, and for a moment, he sat on the hill, studying it from the distance. The two-story farmhouse sat on four hundred acres where farmers still planted corn, winter wheat, and alfalfa, leaving just over an acre as the yard where Jessie had planted her flowerbeds. Big oaks stood at the corners of the fences, and one large oak provided shade in the front yard. Dogwood and magnolia trees stood on the north side of the house. Wildflowers, irises, tulips, daffodils, marigolds, and roses bloomed in front of the kitchen window and along side the deck. Jessie had planted strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and grapes haphazardly by the house and against the fence. Herbs grew in beds near the back door. The combined effect was one of peace and tranquility—a welcoming environment he was always happy to come home to, but especially this morning,

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Rie McGaha after such a long and exciting night. He headed in from the east side of the property, went around the old barn, thankful Jessie had a habit of sleeping in late. He needed time. Time to figure out what had happened, time to sort it all out and get his mind wrapped around it. Oh, he'd tell Jess everything, eventually. He'd never kept anything from her for very long; he just wasn't capable of hiding anything from her. Any time he had ever tried, as soon as he looked into her eyes, he was compelled to tell her everything. This would be no different. But first, he needed to figure it all out, himself. He slipped quietly into the house, he found a pair of sweats and a T-shirt in the dryer, and then headed into the kitchen to make a pot of coffee. While it brewed, he went into the bathroom and turned the taps on in the shower. He stood in the hot spray and closed his eyes. He hadn't slept all night, but he felt rested and alert. In fact, he'd never felt so alive, so strong, so vibrant. Shampooing his hair, he thought about the night he’d had. He soaped and rinsed his body, his skin tingling beneath his touch. Yes, he definitely felt alive. "You're up early," Jess said, coming into the bathroom just as Josh finished his shower. "Yeah." He opened the stall door and reached for his towel. "I feel great. Didn't want to lay in bed another minute." Jess flushed the toilet and watched him dry off. He looked different. His skin, his hair, his face . . . something about him had definitely changed. She scanned him, down and up, and back down. The man was gorgeous with his high forehead and chiseled cheekbones, his square jaw and the slight cleft in his chin. His eyes were deep-set and his nose was pure European. His chest was muscular, his stomach flat and hard, and he had such a tight, mouth-watering ass. An ass I love to touch, she thought, her hands tingling. His thighs were muscular and his calves well developed. The hair on his legs was dark, as was

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Blood Line the light dusting of hair across his chest and stomach. She'd seen him like this hundreds of times, knew his own body as well as she knew her own, but somehow, looking at him this morning, she felt as if she were seeing him for the first time. Something was . . . off . . . but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. There just seemed to be more of him, somehow. He seemed more defined, more developed. Just so much more. "Problem?" he asked. She shook her head, realizing she'd been caught staring. "No, just looking,” she said with a smile. “You seem different this morning. I don't know . . . you just look really good.” "Do I now?" His voice was deep, husky, and held a sexy promise that made her grow hot. "Yes, you do," she purred, and ran her hands over his chest. Pulling her against him, he sealed his mouth over hers. The kiss stunned her. He had always been able to kiss her breath away, but this morning, the way he was kissing her now, was incredible. She felt herself slipping, spiraling into unknown territory. It's just Josh, she thought, but some sixth sense told her there was more. He seemed wild, animalistic. More intense. He gripped her arms and hauled her out of the bathroom and into the bedroom, pulling her down to the carpeted floor. Raining kisses over her mouth and face, he growled deep in his throat. The sound made Jessie shiver with delight. "You're so beautiful," he said, dipping his head to capture her hard nipple between his teeth. He flicked it with his tongue while he rolled the other one between his thumb and forefinger. She was molten beneath him, writhing and begging for more. She ran her nails over his body, wrapped her hand around his cock. Stroking him, she dipped her head and brought him to her mouth as they rolled on the carpet.

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Rie McGaha With a deep growl, Josh wrapped his fingers in her hair and moved her head back and forth, fucking her mouth. Jessie sank her nails into the flesh of his ass and took him deeper, sucking him hard and running her tongue up and down his length. "Stop," Josh said, and pushed her onto her back. Straddling her, he put his cock between her breasts and held them together. "Mmm, yeah, baby. Fuck my tits," Jessie said, flicking her tongue out to lick the head of his cock with each thrust. A moment later, he switched positions again, flipping her around so that she was on top of him, her mouth sliding over his hard cock, while he lapped at her pussy. Feasting on one another, they rolled around the carpet, wild with passion and pure, unadulterated lust. Josh sucked her clit into his mouth, flicking his tongue back and forth. Jessie sank her nails into his ass as her orgasm exploded, crying out his name as she came. Before she finished screaming, he rolled her over and slammed his swollen cock into her wet depths. He gripped her hips, riding her faster and higher than ever before. He seemed driven by some inner need, some sort of frenzied, sexual beast. Jessie locked her legs around his waist and rode it with him until he plunged one last time and spilled himself into her with such force she thought she'd pass out. They lay panting, out of breath, their bodies bruised and sated. For a moment, they neither moved nor spoke. Jessie felt as if she'd been hit by a semi. While Josh had always been a good lover, he'd never, ever been quite so . . . exciting. What the hell had gotten into him? He appeared to be dozing, so she untangled her legs from his, swearing under her breath as her aching muscles protested the movement.

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Blood Line She shook her head and wandered into the kitchen, where she poured a cup of the coffee that had been forgotten in the pot. She jumped, nearly spilling the dark brew all over the counter, when she felt something brush up against her back. "Hmmm," Josh said, nuzzling her neck as he wrapped his arms around her from behind, "that was wonderful." He nibbled her earlobe, his stiff cock pressing against her. "Are you joking?" She turned toward him. "How could you want more already?" "I will always want more of you," he said. He took the cup from her hands and set it on the counter. He kissed her neck, grazing her skin with his teeth. "Josh, Josh . . . ." She tried to protest, but he covered her mouth with his and she fell into the kiss. Placing his hands beneath her ass, he lifted her onto the counter, and then slid into her. With her legs wrapped around his waist, and her arms around his shoulders, she hung on while he pounded into her. His teeth, his lips, his tongue, he used them all, plundering her mouth, her throat, her shoulders, as his body slammed into hers. He arched, his head thrown back, and howled as he emptied himself inside of her. Dropping his head to her shoulder, he drew deep breaths into his lungs, while Jessie rubbed her hands up his back and over his shoulders. His very soft, smooth shoulder. "Josh," she said, and pushed him back a bit, "your shoulder, look! There's not even a mark left where you were bitten." He shrugged, as if the fact he had no scar was no big deal. "Told you I'd be fine." Then he grinned and nipped at her breast. "Let me off this counter," she said and shoved against him. He wrapped his arms around her and swung her around, kissing her as he slid his hands over her body.

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Rie McGaha "Mmmm," he growled in her ear, "do you know how beautiful you are? Do you know what you do to me? How much you make me want you?" "Apparently more than I ever did before," she said, leaning her head back while he kissed her throat. "Come back to bed with me," he said, lowering her to her feet and grabbing her hand. Jessie hung back. "Josh, what has gotten into you?" "Making up for lost time." He nibbled her earlobe. "You might be making up for lost time, but I'm the one who's getting so sore I'm going to be walking bowlegged for a month! Now put me down and let me fix some breakfast. Aren't you hungry?" "I'm starved," he said as he drew a nipple into his mouth. She laughed, slapping him lightly. "I meant for food!” Josh dipped his head, licking Jessie from her navel to her chin. He scooped her up, carried her back to bed and came down on top of her. His cock was already hard and throbbing with need. Without preamble, he shoved himself inside of her and fucked her. Her pussy was wet, still slick from the encounter in the kitchen, and the musky scent of their sex wafted on the air, filling his senses. The wolf inside him raised its head and sniffed, and then it took control. Josh cupped the inside of her thighs with both hands, spreading her open before him, and slammed his cock into her. He pulled out slowly until just the head pressed against her cunt, and then he pushed inside of her again. He felt her heat, felt her muscles contract around him, felt her pussy sucking him inside. He watched her, their gazes locked as he fucked her, and when she came, he pounded into her ruthlessly, repeatedly, until the wolf was satisfied, and then he came deep inside of her.

*****

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Blood Line The following few weeks passed in a blur, and Josh didn't understand what had gotten into him any more than Jess did. The changes in his mortal body continued to amaze him. He was stronger, cuts healed almost instantly, and his senses were keener than ever before. But the biggest change seemed to be his voracious sexual appetite, which he fed with Jessie's body several times a day. Jessie noticed a huge change in Josh's behavior. Especially his sexual behavior. Something was definitely up. Not wrong, exactly . . . at least, not wrong enough for her to complain . . . but hell, a girl had to rest sometime! And Josh didn't seem to sleep much anymore. She'd catch him up, prowling around the house or yard late at night, and it was driving her crazy. But she didn't confront him. Whatever was going on, he'd tell her about it sooner or later. He never kept anything from her for long. When Josh suggested they hire a driver for their truck to keep it running so they could stay home, but still have an income, Jess thought it strange since he loved being on the road, but she agreed. It had never taken much of her time to keep loads available for the truck, or to keep up with the paperwork, and she'd done that while on board and sharing in the driving. Doing it from home would be a piece of cake. Besides, a break might be nice. She could take care of her flowers, and cook and bake whenever she wanted to. Still, there was something going on, and she couldn't help but worry. For the next three weeks, they enjoyed the summer heat and spent time puttering around the house, going into town for dinner, to the movies, or making the drive to the lake for an afternoon of tanning and swimming. No matter how strenuous or distracting the activity, though, Josh never seemed to get enough of her. Everywhere they went, he found a place to make love to her . . . if you could call what they did, 'making love.' The act felt more like a battle . . . of mouths and teeth, arms and legs. Their bodies waged a war, made up of multiple skirmishes. Toward the end of the third week, Josh became even more restless than 25

Rie McGaha he'd been before. He had nightmares that left him drenched in sweat and out of breath when he came to in the middle of the night. Jessie, fed up with his loud moans and thrashing, began to elbow him in the ribs whenever his dreams interrupted her sleep. She also told him, if he didn’t knock it off, he’d be sleeping on the couch. But Josh just grinned and made love to her again and the days wore on.

***** Josh had been pacing all morning, and couldn't seem to find anything that satisfied him, including Jessie. The dream from the night before played repeatedly in his head, and he was reacting to it physically. He couldn’t recall the exact details of the dream; it was more a sense of the urgency in it that bothered him. He was being drawn to a place he’d never been to, had never heard of, but he felt it was imperative that he go there. Wherever there was. The force that drove him to make the decision to go was beyond his ability to resist. Of course, Jessie didn't understand why he was leaving and not taking her with him. He tried to comfort her by explaining he wouldn't be gone long, but she still seemed hurt and confused. Even suggesting she call her sister, Terri, and invite her to come for a visit to keep her company, didn't seem to make her feel better. He hated that . . . hurting Jessie was like hurting himself . . . but he had to go. Chapter Three Josh didn't know where he was going, exactly, when he took the exit to get on the I-35 northbound freeway. North was the only clear direction that stuck in his mind, though he didn't know, exactly, why he was going north, and he didn't know, exactly, what would happen once he was there, either. He didn't

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Blood Line know anything, exactly. He just knew that something was calling to him deep within himself. He couldn't hear it, but he could feel it, and he knew it was related to the wolf. Somehow, the wolf within was guiding him, urging him on, and he couldn’t decide now if he was part of the wolf, or if it was part of him, and he didn't know if he could trust it, either. He took a deep breath. Whatever the case, he was about to find out. Continuing north on I-35, he cut a straight line up the middle of Oklahoma, and a few hours later, crossed into Kansas. He stopped to pay the toll, then continuing north until he merged onto I-70 and headed west. He drove across the prairie, stopping only when the vehicle needed fuel. Then he crossed into Colorado, and in Denver he caught I-25, driving until the freeway merged into I-90. He continued the trek northward until he reached Billings, Montana. There, he took Highway 87 north, and even though it changed route numbers, he stayed north to Highway 2 and headed due west until he reached Glacier National Park. Traveling north on Highway 89 to the small town of St. Mary, he then followed a crooked road into the mountains. He had no idea how he knew where to go, but when he reached the peak at Logan Pass, he pulled the truck over and cut the engine. Instinct—or maybe the wolf's instincts—told him this was where the real journey would begin. The mountain air was still cool enough to require a jacket, so he threw one on when he got out of the truck. Pausing only long enough to lock the door, he headed down the embankment on foot. The beast inside him seemed to quiver with anticipation, which only heightened Josh's nervousness. He wished he had a better weapon than the knife on the back of his belt. He slid on his heels down the steep terrain, heading into the dense overgrowth bordering the forest. When he finally reached the bottom of the hill, he sat on a rock, reaching

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Rie McGaha for a cigarette that wasn't there. Since the first night he'd transformed into the wolf, he hadn't had the desire for a cigarette. Not until now. He could feel the beast within him stirring, could feel its anticipation of something Josh couldn’t know. No turning back now, he thought, and didn't know if it was his will, or the wolf's, that caused him to press onward. He shoved a hand through his hair and started off again. The going was slow, but he made the peak long before sunset. He didn't fear getting lost, since he had no idea where he was going in the first place. With no choice but to trust the wolf, he let it be his guide through the forest. The sound of creatures scurrying up trees and across the forest floor filled his sensitive ears, but he kept focused and alert for larger, more dangerous animals. He didn't know if the wolf could protect him from mountain lions or bears, and he didn't want to find out, either. He'd been walking for most of the day when he stopped at a stream to drink, and sat on a log for a few minutes to tie his boot string. The distinct sound of a limb snapping beneath considerable weight broke the silence, and Josh froze. He listened with wolf acuity, sniffed the air, and his nape hair rose. Bear. These woods were full of them—black bear and grizzlies—and Josh said a quick prayer the one he'd scented was the former. Black bears could weigh as much as four hundred pounds and stand six feet tall on their hind legs, but a Grizzly would weigh nearly a ton and be nine or ten feet tall. Josh had no idea just how fierce the wolf inside of him could be, and facing a Grizzly was not how he wanted to find out. He waited, not moving, hoping the animal would continue on its journey and pass him by, but he had no such luck. As the bear moved closer, Josh slowly, quietly got to his feet. A startled bear was a dangerous bear. Moving quickly, but making as little noise as possible, Josh crossed the stream, and slid behind a huge pine tree. He peeked around the trunk, eyeing the bear warily as it stopped at the stream and drank, and then sniffed the air. The

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Blood Line enormous animal turned its large head in the direction of the tree, and Josh's stomach rose into his throat. His heart pounded and he tried not to let himself breathe too heavily. The bear crossed the stream and stood on its hind legs, sniffing the air again. The damn thing had to be well over ten feet tall, and weighed at least a ton. With a sense of inevitability, Josh drew back and slid the knife from his belt, then almost laughed at himself as he looked at the metal glinting in his hand. Like trying to slice up a roast with a butter knife. Growling, the bear came down on all fours and lumbered closer to the tree. Josh slid around the opposite side of the trunk, trying to stay out of the animal's line of sight. The bear rounded the tree, but Josh had continued sliding around it and then made a flying leap for the other side of the stream. He landed with one foot in the water and began to run. The bear was after him like a flash. Josh wasn't stupid; he knew you weren't supposed to run from a bear, but fear had overcome good sense. He ran as fast and as far as he could, and then ducked behind another tree to catch his breath. But the bear was right on his heels. It flew toward the tree and slapped one giant paw around the trunk, catching Josh's upper arm with three of its sharp claws. Josh grabbed his arm, biting back a howl of pain. His coat sleeve hung in tatters, and a bit of blood trickled down his arm. He staggered two steps and fell to his knees, then clutched his stomach, a pain he now recognized erupting from within as the wolf came to life. His bones, muscles and ligaments began to stretch and grow. Fur covered his body and his jaw elongated. His canines elongated into razor-sharp fangs. The change happened faster than ever before. The wolf howled and charged the bear. Lunging forward, the bear whipped a deadly paw at the wolf's throat. The wolf dodged the blow and hit the bear square in the chest, sending him flying backward. Stunned, the bear was slow to get up, and the wolf landed on top of him in a fury of claws and teeth. It ripped the bear's chest open and sank its

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Rie McGaha fangs into the bear's throat, ripping the jugular. The bear tensed, and then went limp. The wolf ripped the animal's chest the rest of the way open, then pulled the warm heart out and bit it in two. Still leaning on the Grizzly’s chest, blood dripping from its fangs, the wolf howled. Josh knew what had happened. The transformation didn't take place without his knowledge, even if it did occur without his permission. He was always fully aware, but sometimes he felt as if events took place outside of him. He had not known the wolf could appear during the day. He'd watched his fair share of cheesy horror movies, and up until now, had only experienced the change at night, so he'd just figured Hollywood had it right. Josh glanced at the decimated corpse lying a few feet away and shuddered. Apparently, he—and Hollywood—were wrong. Now, he lay on his back in the forest, naked since his clothing had shredded during the change, and shivered. Just great, he thought. He was in the middle of the mountains without a stitch of clothing and evening was falling fast. He needed to call the wolf up again. At least, in that form, he'd not only be warmer, but faster. Closing his eyes tightly, he made a wish. A few moments passed, and nothing happened. He felt foolish, but that's how the super heroes did it, so he ran three long strides and jumped into the air like Super Man . . . and fell flat of his face. Okay, okay, so maybe that wasn't the brightest idea. He laughed, imagining what he must look like, naked and leaping around the forest like some mad man. He got to his feet and brushed himself off, then paced in circles, trying to keep his blood circulating, and alternately rubbed his arms and legs with his hands. Something on the ground caught his attention, glinting in the fading sun. The knife. He picked it up, turning it over in his hand. Maybe, just maybe . . . . He placed the blade on his palm and swiftly drew it

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Blood Line across his hand, drawing blood. The plan worked. The wolf caught the scent of its own blood. It rolled over, looked around and howled, as man became beast once again. It took off through the forest at blinding speeds, knowing exactly where it was going.

***** High on the mountain they’d gathered, coming alone, or in groups. They came in human form and in wolf form. The elders had gathered away from the others, preparing for the night to come. When the summer solstice fell on a full moon, they gathered together to welcome newcomers, wolf by blood or by design, and to discuss The Problems. Josh didn't know how he understood all these things; he just knew. The same way he'd known to come here, he supposed. A combination of instinct and intellect. His presence here was required, but he stayed back, hidden in the darkness. A huge bonfire blazed, though the preternatural beings had no need for heat or light. As the full moon rose over the mountaintops, those who had come in human form made the change to wolf, and Josh watched in horrified fascination. He'd not known there were others, and had never seen the change as an observer. He watched one after another morph from human to wolf, and marveled at the beauty of each beast. The elders began to howl, then each wolf in attendance followed suit. Josh raised his head and added his voice to theirs. He felt compelled to do so, couldn't stop himself, but still he remained hidden in the shadows. When it was again quiet, a large, gray wolf stepped into the circle and called for the Alpha wolves of each clan to come forward. Each one heeded his call, bringing with them those who had become since the last meeting. The elder gray wolf looked each one up and down, sniffed them and stepped back. Then, he picked up a long, fur coat

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Rie McGaha and wrapped himself in it, and the wolf became man. His hair was silver, but Josh thought he was probably around forty. He began to speak, his voice strong and sure. "We are Wolf, and we have been since the earth was new. Our original form still exists, but the form we have now began in magic. We have rules among us, to protect us, to keep us from detection among pure humans, and all here have taken the oath of silence. You can tell no one that we are." He paused long enough to take a drink of water. "We are hunted now, because of those who fell by the way. They chose not to follow the clan's rules; they chose to risk all that we are. Some for financial gain, for love of money. Some for fame, for they could not walk silently. And some because of the carelessness of those who made them. But we made these rules to protect all of us. This is our way of life. Some of you had the choice, and some of you did not. No matter, you are bound, either way. "We can never feed on mortal flesh and we can never take a human life. Never. We're tempted, yes. The scent of human male for the females among us, and the scent of human female for the males among us, is nearly irresistible," he said, splaying his hands in front of his body, "and thus, there are those of you among us who were made. While we do not encourage our members to turn a human, we understand it is sometimes done because human blood is such a powerful draw for us, and not everyone can resist. Therefore, we overlook the making of others. "It is forbidden to kill one of our own, except in battle. But that is a rare situation. To kill one of our own for any other reason is not allowed. The penalty is death. The only exception is killing one of The Fallen. "The Fallen are those who ignored our rules, those who fed on human flesh, who took a human life. The scent of human blood overwhelmed them and they ignored the rules. Instead of simply drinking, of being satisfied with just a taste and turning a human into one of us, they took the entire human. They fed on human flesh and they took human life. Once that happened, they became 32

Blood Line depraved. They lost their own humanity. They became wild beasts with no thought or reason. Their existence is mindless. They are dangerous, not only to humans, but to us, as well. If you ever encounter one, you must kill it, or it will kill you." He took several sips of water and gazed out upon the sea of wolves and men. Swallowing the last bit of water, he blew out a breath. "A few more things to cover and we'll all be free to celebrate and mingle. I know you've all seen movies where the werewolf was hunted and killed with a silver bullet, and mortals believe that is the way to kill us." He snorted. "But they are wrong. Some of us have been shot with silver and we can tell you that while the silver bullet hurts like a bitch, it won't kill. We are practically impossible to kill. "The only sure way to kill us is to severe our heads. Anything less than decapitation may cause some degree of pain, but we heal rapidly and will recuperate almost immediately from any injury "You may have noticed that nearly all of us carry swords that are specially made to fit our paws. We are, unfortunately forced into battle on occasion. Sometimes by one of our own, sometimes by outsiders, and a sword is the easiest weapon for us to use when in our altered state. "You probably have already figured out that you don't have to wait until a full moon to change. Although you are compelled to change during each full moon, you can bring the change on at will. There may be some difficulty at first, as it requires a certain amount of concentration and confidence. However, you will be able to change at will more quickly as you acquire experience. The wolf will also appear when it scents blood, either its own, or that of another, whether human or animal. As you acquire more experience and grow older, the change won't come with pain as it does now, which I'm sure you are all pleased to know. "There is more about our history, more about our present, but you all belong to a clan and can ask one of the members any particular questions you might have." With those final words, he shrugged the fur coat from his shoulders

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Rie McGaha and the gray wolf stood before them once again. As the listeners wandered away, forming smaller groups among themselves, Josh moved through the throng, trying to hear each word. He didn't belong to a clan, had no idea there was such a thing, and now he was hearing things he'd never have guessed on his own. He had to have more information. Thinking back to the night he faced the beast on the road, he remembered when he’d killed it and severed its head, it had burst into flames. He had killed one of them. But he’d not been one of them when he'd killed it, and besides, the beast had tried to kill him and Jessie. He’d obviously encountered one of The Fallen, hadn't he? He hoped so. Moving forward through the crowd, he searched for the gray wolf, hoping to ask a few questions, but a brown wolf stepped in front of him. The animal sniffed him, apparently identifying his scent, and then stared at him a moment before moving away. Josh didn't know what to make of it, and with a mental shrug, he continued to press his way forward toward the gray wolf. He finally found him, speaking with a group of other men, but now Josh had a problem. He didn't know how to become man at will. He paced and waited. He took deep breaths; he concentrated, yet he remained wolf. Finally, when no one seemed to be paying any attention to him, he plopped down on the ground and looked around. And just like that, he turned back, finding himself sitting nude on the forest floor. He must have looked embarrassed or surprised, because a man standing next to him held out a robe, his expression one of kind understanding. With a nod of gratitude, Josh accepted the robe. He drew it around his shoulders, and then warily and approached the group. "Could I speak with you?" he asked the man who had been the gray wolf. "Of course." "I don't know how this happened to me,” Josh said. “It was an accident and I don't know how I knew to come here, but I was hoping you could give me

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Blood Line some answers." "Tell me your story," the elder said encouragingly. Josh relayed the tale of the night he ran over the beast on the road, and when he’d finished, he said, "So you see, I've had no one to teach me or answer questions. I really want to know if there is a way to reverse it. To undo all of this?" The man put a hand on Josh's shoulder, shook his head, and said, "I'm sorry. That is beyond my knowledge. I've only known of the old ones who have lived so many years that they are now somehow immune to the effects. They do not change with the moon, and live as a normal human for all their days. They age and become old, as humans do, as long as they never bring on the change themselves. Some withhold the change on purpose, in order to die, because if they remain human long enough without the change, eventually, they will die of old age. If they do change, no matter how long it has been since the last time, every cell is instantly renewed and they have to start over again. Of course, this takes hundreds of years. Our life span, even as a human, is centuries long." "Is there anyone who knows if it can be reversed? Or how to reverse it?" The older man shook his head. "If anyone knows, it would be Ganda, but no one has heard from her for at least a century. The last I heard, she hadn't changed in many centuries, and had moved to Louisiana to live out her days. She has been around nearly as long as I have, and has power and knowledge like no other. Most fear her, so great is her power. The last person who attempted to find her wound up fed to the alligators." The older man shimmered and became wolf. He looked at Josh and waited. Josh concentrated; he closed his eyes, but remained man. The older wolf changed back, and said, "Don't try so hard, the wolf is already there; just allow him to be free." The air shimmered again and the older man was once again a wolf. Josh drew a breath, blew it out. He closed his eyes and let the image of himself with

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Rie McGaha the bear fill his mind. Opening his eyes, he found he had become wolf without the pain he'd experienced beneath the full moon. The older wolf leaned in and sniffed. He peered intently at Josh then sniffed again. Both returned to their human form. "What is it?" Josh asked. "This wolf you encountered, the one who turned you, did you notice anything about him that was, say, unusual?" "I don't know what you mean. He was trying to kill my wife, so I killed him. He would have killed us both if I hadn't," Josh replied. "Why?" "You have his scent. We always bear the scent of the one who makes us, and Amcor is the one who made you. He is, or was, the Alpha of a pack. When the Beta's find you, they'll kill you." Josh looked at the man with his mouth gaping. "I had no choice; he was trying to kill my wife! You said yourself The Fallen could be killed!" "As far as anyone else is concerned, Amcor was not one of The Fallen. He has never been known to feed on humans, or to have taken a human life." "Well, maybe no one knew what he'd really been doing out there," Josh said and pushed his hair out of his face. The man shrugged and spread his hands. "Perhaps not, but they'll not be of a mind to listen to you, either. You are unknown and you've killed their Alpha. It'll be your head they're after." "What should I do?" Josh looked around uneasily. "Get the hell out of here before they scent you. I'm surprised they haven't already, but they will come after you. And when they do, they’ll be armed." He slapped Josh on the back, changed into the wolf again, and walked away. Josh looked around and the air shimmered as the wolf inside him took over. He began moving through the crowd, trying not to look directly at any of the others. He made it almost to the edge of the clearing when the brown wolf he'd seen earlier stepped in front of him again. 36

Blood Line Josh sidestepped and tried to move around him. The brown wolf caught him by the throat and tossed him over his head. Josh landed with a thud. He jumped to his feet, but a paw caught him on the jaw, knocking his head back. Others had gathered around, and from the corner of his eye, Josh caught movement from the top of the hill. He heard the sound of running feet, and he brought the full force of his weight against the brown wolf’s chest with both feet. The air whooshed out of the wolf’s lungs as Josh turned and leaped toward the dense brush. Crashing through trees and underbrush, Josh ran for his life. He could hear the throng chasing behind him at a dead run, and it sounded like a herd of elephants to his sensitive ears. He couldn't outrun them, because no matter where he went, they would pick up the scent of the Alpha he'd killed. His scent. They could always find him because of his scent. He would have to find a way to fight them, and that meant finding a vantage point and weapons. Running for all he was worth, he searched the terrain for a place to make his stand. The pack was closing in, and it wouldn't be long until they caught him. And once they did, he'd be dead in a matter of minutes. He had a chance against one, or maybe even two of them at a time, but he didn't stand a chance against all of them at once, especially since it appeared as if every one of them were armed with knives and swords. He continued to run, heedless of his direction. When he came to a creek bed at the bottom of a hill, he started down through the stream, hoping that running through the water would throw them off his scent. The trick worked in the movies, he thought wryly. Unfortunately, he wasn't in a movie and they didn't slow down. Leaving the stream, he headed back into the forest, jumping over fallen logs and boulders, running blindly, destination unknown. Suddenly the forest gave way to flat land and he was running in the open. He knew that was a more dangerous situation, but there was nowhere to go but forward. Little more than

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Rie McGaha half a mile separated him from his pursuers, and they were gaining now that they were out of the woods. Seeing a place where the land sloped upward, he turned in that direction, and ran up the rise and along a path at the edge of a cliff. The sheer drop to his right was at least a hundred yards to the bottom. Josh didn't know how far he could jump, but he was about to find out. The growling grew louder as the clan closed in. Without thinking, Josh plunged over the edge. The sensation of falling, flying and tumbling, was more a sense of vertigo than actual fear. He saw the out-cropping speeding toward him and reached for it. Catching the rocks with one paw, he briefly slowed his descent before he lost his hold. He bounced off a boulder and hit a tree growing out of the side of the cliff, then he made one last grab and his paw wrapped around the base of a tree trunk. The sapling wasn't big enough to hold his considerable weight, but it held long enough for him to regain his bearings. When the tree pulled free, he dropped the last thirty feet with enough balance to land on his feet, and took off running on all fours at speeds he'd never imagined. The clan had followed him over, but they were no longer gaining on him. He didn't slow down. He continued to run until he was miles and miles from the cliff where he'd jumped. When he finally slowed, he took a moment to analyze his physical state and felt . . . nothing. Not out of breath, no aching muscles, no sore feet. Or, in this case, paws. His stamina amazed him. He stood on his hind legs and surveyed his surroundings. Scenting smoke from a wood-burning stove, he followed the odor. Little more than a mile away he came upon a small ranch. He paused, sniffing the air once again. This time, he scented human male, moving around inside the tiny cabin. Obviously, an early morning riser, since the sun wasn't up yet, and the indigo sky was just beginning to change hues at the edges. The scent of human blood caused all of Josh's senses to heighten and desire curled through his body. But he wasn't here for food, and had no desire to

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Blood Line bring harm to any person. He had to find a way out of this area, and fast. Sometime in the last few hours, he'd reached a decision. He had to get to Louisiana; he had to find the woman in the swamp. He sat back on his haunches, waiting and watching, until the man exited the cabin and walked to the barn. Josh went around the back of the cabin, and sensing no one else inside, wolf became man. He tried the handle on the back door. It turned easily and he slipped inside. Walking quietly through the laundry room to a short hallway, he turned right, and went into one of the bedrooms. There, he opened the closet, pulled out a flannel shirt, and found a pair of boots that were big enough to fit him. He pulled a dresser drawer open, found a pair of jeans, a T-shirt, and socks. He quickly dressed and went back down the hallway to the kitchen. The smell of food wafted on the air and his stomach rumbled. A skillet of fried potatoes, a plate of scrambled eggs and a few pieces of bacon remained on the stove, and using his fingers, he shoved the food into his mouth. The kitchen opened to the living room and he looked around. There was a rifle above the mantle, but he wanted a pistol, something easily concealed. He searched the room, but found nothing. Back down the hall in the bedroom, he searched some more and found a box in the top of the closet and pulled it down. Inside was a Colt model 1911 Government Issue .45 pistol that had been modified to a long slide, with a full magazine and enough ammo to fill both of his jeans pockets. He went back to the laundry room, lifted a jacket off the hook by the door and slipped back outside. Rounding the corner of the house, he scented something and froze. There was a wolf in the barn. Covering the distance as quickly as he could, he held the weapon in his right hand, cocked and ready to fire. Sliding around the corner of the barn, he went to the side where he could enter the small door that went into the hay storage area. His senses weren't as

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Rie McGaha keen as they were when he was wolf, but he could still smell the wolf inside the building. He remained in human form, thinking he would have an advantage over the wolf, even if it were only a slight one. After all, a wolf couldn't shoot a gun. Their fingers were too large to fit through the trigger guard. And even though a bullet wouldn't kill the wolf, Josh prayed a gunshot wound would at least slow it down. He silently crossed the hay bales, and then rolled under the railing. Coming to his feet, he stopped and listened as he inhaled the air. It was difficult to determine where the wolf was and he could no longer scent the man. But when he heard a low rumbling, he went cautiously toward the sound, and peeked around a stall door. The man cowered in the corner, terrified, but alive, and the wolf crouched in the center of the stall, feasting on the carcass of a freshly killed horse. Seeing the dead horse pissed Josh off. Horses were magnificent creatures and the thought of anyone, even a wolf, killing one, even for food, pissed him off. The wolf could have easily killed a deer instead; they were plentiful in these mountains. He raised the pistol just as the wolf turned on him. He pulled the trigger. The wolf fell backward, and Josh fired three more times, aiming for the brain, before he paused to see what affect the bullets had on the beast. The thing didn't move, so Josh took the man by the hand and told him to get in his truck and drive. Apparently, the guy was too shocked to even think to resist. "My car broke down on the road from St. Mary," Josh said as they climbed into the truck. "I guess I got lost. Ended up wandering in the woods all night." He thought the explanation sounded plausible. "You walked nearly fifty miles?" Josh hadn't realized he was that far from the road, so he just nodded. "Can you take me back there?" "Yeah, yeah, sure," he said and gunned the motor. He put the truck in gear

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Blood Line and headed down the dirt road. "What was that thing you killed in my barn?" "I don't know," Josh said, playing dumb. "Some kind of overgrown wolf, I guess." "I ain't never seen any wolf like that in these parts, and I've lived here all my life," the man said and made a left onto the paved road. "I don't know. I just need to get to my truck and get out of here," Josh said wearily. He was beginning to feel very tired. "Hey," the man said with a laugh, "I've got a jacket exactly like that one." Josh raised a brow. "Really?" Chapter Four Josh lifted the hood of the truck and fiddled around with the wires for a moment, then slid behind the wheel and fired up the engine. "Guess it wasn't serious. I just couldn't see in the dark," he called out the side window. He hated to be rude, but all he really wanted to do was get the hell out of there. "Thanks for the ride!" He waved as he roared off down the road. He needed sleep, food, and sex. Not necessarily in that order. God, he missed Jess. But his wife was miles away, and there were fast-food places off every exit. A few hundred yards down the road, he stopped at McDonald's and ordered a breakfast to go, then continued the long drive home. As the miles slipped past, his thoughts returned to Jessie. He wanted to see her, to hold her, to inhale her scent, and let her touch put the previous night's horror to rest. He wanted to tell her the entire story, wanted to tell her what he'd become. He hoped she'd listen and believe him, because he didn't want to have to prove it to her. He grinned as he headed south back toward Colorado. Knowing Jessie, she'd ask for proof the minute he finished giving her all the details.

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Rie McGaha He opened the glove box and rummaged around, trying to keep one eye on the road as he fished out a pack of cigarettes. He shut the glove box, and used his teeth to pull one cigarette from the pack. With the single stick match he found on the dash, he lit it and inhaled deeply. Coughing on the exhale, he gave the butt a disgusted look before tossing it out the window. He turned on the radio to help pass the time, instead.

***** Several hours later, Josh slowly pulled down his driveway. He drove the truck into the yard and killed the engine. He'd driven straight through, stopping only for fuel, and he felt like he'd been hit by a truck instead of driving one. He scrubbed his face with his hands and then, heaving a sigh, got out and headed toward the house. It was late and he didn't want to wake Jessie just yet. He entered through the kitchen and moved quietly through the living room and into the bathroom to wash up. Without turning on the lights, he walked across the bedroom. Standing next to the bed, he undressed in the dark and then slid quietly beneath the covers. He touched Jessie’s silken skin, wrapped his arms protectively around her, and drew her close. She stirred, but didn't waken, and Josh buried his nose in her hair, inhaling her scent. He ran a hand over her stomach and hip, newly amazed by how soft her skin was beneath his palm. He would do anything to keep her safe, but she wouldn't be . . . not until he found Ganda. If the wolves found him first, they'd kill. And if they killed him, they'd kill Jess, as well. He had to find Ganda. "Josh?" Jess murmured. "I'm here, baby, I'm home," he quietly said in between nibbles along her silky smooth neck.

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Blood Line "Where've you been? I missed you," she said sleepily. "I had to take care of some things. Go back to sleep, we'll talk in the morning." Turning toward him, she wrapped around him, her warm hands resting on his stomach. His muscles quivered at her touch, his breath caught in his throat, and the desire that had simmered just below the surface all during the long drive home bubbled over. Cupping her face in his hand, he forced himself to be gentle, and brushed his lips against hers. She moaned, moving against him, her long legs entwining with his. Josh licked her lips, ran his tongue down the column of her throat, felt her pulse beating steadily. He could smell the blood pumping through her veins, and had to bite back the urge to sink his teeth into her flesh. Working his mouth over her breasts, he swirled his tongue over her nipples, drawing them into his mouth. She came fully awake, working her fingers through his hair, her body arching toward him. He kissed a trail down her stomach as he nipped and kissed the area just below her belly button. She moaned again, lifted her hips to him, in a silent plea for him to quench the fire he'd so obviously ignited within her. He thrust his tongue into her wet pussy, flicked her clit back and forth. He lapped at her rhythmically until she was bucking against him, then pulled away, positioned himself on his knees and slung her legs over his shoulders. Pulling her up to him, he held her by the hips and feasted. Jessie thrashed against the bed, wrapping her hands tightly in the sheets. Perspiration coated her body, and Josh thought he'd never seen anything quite so sexy, quite so beautifully erotic. He teased and licked, sucked and nibbled, until she broke beneath him, shuddering violently with the force of her climax. She gasped and clung to his shoulders as he came down on top of her and thrust his hard, swollen cock into her. The slick wetness of her pussy brought a feral growl to his throat, and he

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Rie McGaha slammed into her over and over again. She met every thrust, her cunt clenching around him, and his heavy balls slapped against her ass. When he felt his balls tighten and that white-hot spear shooting through him, he gasped and held his breath as he came inside of her. She wrapped her legs around his waist and squeezed against him causing him to shudder and shake. He collapsed on top of her, sweat rolling off his body onto hers. "Can't breathe!" she gasped out, pushing against him. He rolled heavily onto the mattress and sucked air into his lungs. "I don't know what's gotten into you," she told him, "but we definitely have to talk!" “We will, I promise. Come here,” he said as he wrapped around her. He pulled her tightly against him and promptly fell asleep. ***** Josh rolled over, shielding his eyes from the blinding sunlight streaming in through the bedroom window. He pulled the covers back over his head and groaned. Every muscle in his body ached and he felt like he hadn't slept in a month. "Wake up, sleepy head," Jess said and sat beside him. "Here, I brought you a cup of coffee." He groaned and rolled toward her, putting his head on her lap. "Come back to bed, it's too early to get up," he said hoarsely. She laughed and ruffled his hair. "It's nearly two-thirty, time to get you out of bed." He growled. "Why?" "Because you and I are going to talk. I want to know what's going on with you, Joshua," she said. She sipped her coffee, giving him her "I mean business"

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Blood Line look over the rim of the cup. "Later," he mumbled against her leg and licked her thigh. She pushed his head back. "None of that! You aren't going to distract me. Now sit up.” He rolled over on his back and groaned again, but pushed himself to a sitting position against a pillow on the headboard. He took the cup Jess held out to him, but still he didn't speak. Instead, he took a long drink of coffee, carefully avoiding her gaze. "I want the truth, Josh, all of it. Now!" "I've always told you the truth, haven't I?" "Yes, you have, but now you're withholding information and that's as bad as lying, so out with it. I've sat here with my sister the past few nights when I should've been with you. As much as I love Terri, she's just not as good in bed as you are." He raised a brow. "Hmmm, maybe I'd prefer that you tell me your story first. I think I could get into sisters!" She punched him in the stomach and laughed. "Perv! Now tell me where you went. I want to know what's going on." He hated being cornered like this because he knew he couldn't lie to her, as badly as he wanted to this one time. But he had to tell her the truth. She had a right to know, in case things went sideways. He hoped that wasn't going to be the case, but he also knew the only one who could help him now was Ganda. And he had no idea where to find her. Louisiana was a big state. Taking a deep breath, he took Jessie's hand and started talking. He told her the whole story, from beginning to end. She didn't interrupt, but he could see the questions in her eyes, and he could almost hear the gears working in her brain. When he finished, she sat staring dumbly at him. He kept quiet, giving her time to digest what he’d told her. Hell, he'd had a heck of a time getting his

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Rie McGaha mind wrapped around all of this crazy shit, and he had seen and experienced everything first hand. How much more difficult would it be for her? Finally, she took a deep breath and then blew it out. "Well," she said, narrowing her gaze. "Well . . . ," she said again and shook her head. "Look, Jess, I know this is difficult to understand, but you know I wouldn't make this up. It happened, everything I told you happened, and I'm afraid that it won't be long before they find me," he said. "And if they find me, they'll find you. God only knows what they'd do to you, but I can't take the chance that me being here with you will put you in danger. I have to go to Louisiana and find Ganda. She's the only one who can tell me how to deal with this, and how to undo what was done to me. If there is a way to undo it." She threw herself into his arms and cried. "I'm going with you." She sniffled. He grasped her shoulders and held her away from him so he could look directly into her eyes. "No, you're not. You're going to stay here with Terri, but don't tell her anything. You know how she is; she'll flip out and you'll have to deal with the drama queen scene." "Josh, I could help you find this Ganda, and I want to be with you." "I know you do, but if you're with me and they find me, I won't be able to protect you." He gathered her to him and buried his face in her hair. "Jess, if anything happened to you, I wouldn't have any reason to live. You're my life, don't you understand that?" "But . . . ." "Damn it, Jess, don't argue with me on this one, okay? Please, baby, just stay here where I know you're safe." Jessie sat silent for a moment. She heard the anger in his voice, but more, she heard the fear and the concern. "Okay, okay, I'll stay. I won't like it, and it definitely goes against my

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Blood Line better judgment, but I'll do as you say." She kissed him. "That's my girl," he said and kissed her back. "Under one condition . . . ." She nibbled on his lip. He held her at arm's length and looked at her. "What do you mean?" "I want to see it," she said with a mischievous grin. "You want to see what?" "You know . . . it." "No," he said flatly. "If you want me to stay, I have to see it. C'mon, Josh, show it to me." She sounded like a child begging for her favorite toy. "Don't whine; it's unbecoming." He tilted his head and gave her a look. "Then show me, show me, show me!" She bounced up and down on the bed. "Christ, Jess, you don't know what you're asking. It's not like I turn into some kind of a fluffy puppy," he said. "Don't whine; it's unbecoming." She giggled. "Just show me!" "Okay, okay, but I'm telling you now, it's not a pretty sight. And don't be scared, okay? I can't talk to you when I'm the wolf, but I can understand you just fine." "Okay, okay, just do it," she said. "Not in here. I'd bash my head on the ceiling. The wolf is a lot taller than I am. Let's go out to the barn. Wait, where's your sister? We can't take the chance she'll see this." "Okay, I'll make sure she stays inside." She shot him a coy look. "I'll just tell her we're going to make love outside." Josh shook his head and squeezed her rear. She left the room as he pulled on his jeans and slid his feet into a pair of flip-flops. Slugging down the last swallow of coffee, he headed through the house and out to the barn. Jessie was waiting for him, sitting on the edge of a stall with her feet 47

Rie McGaha looped around the second beam. She was grinning like the Cheshire Cat. "Okay," she said breathlessly, "do it!" Laughing, he pulled the barn door shut, sliding the bolt just in case. He walked over to her, and put his hands on her legs. He looked up at her expectant face and laughed again. "Okay, but I don't want you to scream or anything. Don't go acting like a girl on me." He loved antagonizing her. "Me, act like a girl? Pah-leese! You act more like a girl than I do." She swatted at him. "Is that right?" He tickled her ribs until she squealed and almost fell off the railing. "Okay, okay . . . ." She giggled breathlessly. "I give! Just do it, okay?" "Let me get out of my jeans or I'll ruin another pair. Kiss me," he said, as he stepped out of his pants. She leaned down to him and their lips met briefly. She sat up, opened her eyes and nearly fell backward when she saw the wolf standing before her. Gasping, she brought one hand to her heart. She stared him in the chest, and then slowly tipped her head back so she could see up the full length of him. Josh saw the look on her face and took a couple steps back. Her eyes were wide in fear and disbelief, her chin nearly touching her chest. He reached out to her slowly, lifted her chin with one paw and closed her mouth. She didn't jump or cringe, but tentatively reached up to touch his arm. Running a finger over his fur, Jess looked up at him, then reached for him and he came to her. She put a hand on his chest and rubbed her fingers through his thick pelt. Then she stood on the second beam and wrapped her arms around his neck, and he very gently put his arms around her waist and brought her to him. She wrapped her legs around him, and he stepped back, and then slowly lowered her to the ground. She stepped back, looked him up and down, walked around him, and felt his muscles.

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Blood Line "I can't believe this," she said. "You, you . . . this is unbelievable! Can you change back now?" "Yes," he said, as the change took place. In human form now, he reached out and caressed her cheek. "Are you all right? Can you handle this?" She swallowed. "Can I handle the fact that my husband is a werewolf? That he can change back and forth at will?" She seemed to study him closely. "It's so incredible; I don't know what to think!" "I know; I feel the same way. Sometimes I think I'll wake up and find this has all been just some really weird dream. But so far, that hasn't happened; it just keeps getting weirder." Jess nodded, her full lips turning up in a heart-stopping grin. “What?” he asked, but knew that look. His lovely wife was up to something. “Change again,” she said. “Why?” “Just do it; I missed the whole transition the first time.” Josh grinned and shook his head. “Okay, one more time.” He made the change and then waited to see what she'd do next. She walked around him, touching him, rubbing her fingers through his fur, going full circle to stand in front of him again. She looked up at him and then her gaze raked down his huge body, where it rested on his groin. She licked her lips, and Josh just shook his head and sat back on his haunches, his tongue lolling out the side of his mouth. “Hmmm.” Jess paced back and forth in front of him. Looked at his snout, and pressed a finger against his tongue. “Eight inches on one end, twelve on the other . . . this definitely has possibilities!” “And I'm the perv!” he said as he changed back to human form. “Oh, now you’ve ruined it! I had plans for the wolf!” She smiled as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

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Rie McGaha “Didja now?” He wrapped his arms around her and captured her mouth with his. The feel of her in his arms, the soft curves, the scent of her skin filling his nostrils, seeping into his blood, heating it, all combined to cause both man and wolf to grow instantly aroused. Running his hands down her back, over her ass, he squeezed. She fell into the kiss, moaning softly, her fingers digging into the flesh of his shoulders as she clung to him. He lifted her into his arms, carried her to a pile of fresh hay and lowered her to the barn floor. As he started to sit beside her, Jessie caught one of his thighs with her hands and looked up at him with a wicked gleam in her eye and a mischievous smile on her lips. “Stay where you are,” she said, as she began stroking the inside of his thigh. She cupped his balls in her other hand and shifted her position for better access. She used her tongue to snake a line up his thigh, as her hands moved around his body to his ass. She licked his balls and sucked one into her mouth. She felt his hands on her head, his fingers wrapping in her hair, as she licked her way from his balls up the full length of his cock. With her tongue, she encircled the head of his dick while squeezing his ass, then wrapped her lips around him and sucked him deep into her throat. Josh moaned and tightened his grip on her hair. He arched his back and his head fell back as he guided her mouth over his cock and set his own rhythm. One hand moved from Jessie’s hair to caress her cheek, and then moved to his cock. With his hand wrapped around the base, he stroked himself harder as her mouth played on the head. Jessie sat back on her knees and moved her hands over her tits and down her body. She slid one hand to her clit and massaged it with her fingers, moving faster and faster as she watched Josh jack-off. Josh had opened his eyes when her mouth left him and now he watched

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Blood Line Jessie masturbate. He reached for her with one hand, holding her shoulder for support, and continued stroking his cock. "Open your mouth," he said, "I want to come on your face." Jessie tipped her head back, and Josh cried out her name as his cum shot into her waiting mouth and dribbled down her chin to land on her breast. She reached up and massaged it into her tits. Watching Josh come was all Jess needed to send her over the edge. With a few final strokes of her fingers, she came, her body shuddering with her release.

Chapter Five The drive to Louisiana took less time than the one to Wyoming, but at least he'd had some kind of internal compass guiding him in the mountains. This time, he was on his own, and he hadn't the least idea where to begin looking for Ganda. He didn't even know what she looked like or who to ask for help. As far as Josh knew, no one had heard from her, or seen her, in centuries, and the one's who'd tried to find her were never heard from again. He blew out a breath and pulled into a mini-mart just outside Shreveport for fuel and a Coke. After he'd paid the store clerk, Josh headed back outside. He grabbed the map off the passenger side seat and laid it on the hood of his truck. Running his finger down I-49 past Alexandria to I-10, he studied the area. He'd heard the tales of the Loup Gareau, who supposedly lived in the swamps, but had always believed them to be similar to the stories of Big Foot in the Pacific Northwest, or the Loch Ness monster in Scotland. But that was before . . . . Now he knew that anything was possible, and he wouldn't be surprised in the least to find himself face-to-face with the Abominable Snowman one day. He headed south to Lafayette, though he really didn’t know why. An inner instinct, perhaps? Something the wolf knew that he didn’t? He didn’t ponder the reason long; it was as good a place as any to begin.

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***** When he arrived in Lafayette, he parked in a lot close to the library and went inside. The woman behind the information desk peered at him over the reading glasses perched on the tip of her nose. Her mouth was set in a tight bow, and she looked so stern, Josh wondered if she'd ever smiled a day in her life. She reminded him of his first grade school teacher, Mrs. Witman, a cold-hearted woman who'd only had to look at him in order to make him cry. C'mon, Josh. You're not five years old anymore. Get moving. Wiping his sweaty palms on his jeans, Josh cocked his head as he approached her, giving her the lopsided grin Jessie had always said was so charming and drove her wild. He hoped it worked on this woman, as well. "Hello," he said, and leaned on the counter in front of her. She cleared her throat. "May I help you?" "I hope so," he said and looked around. "I need some information on swamp legends." "Anything in particular?" "I'm doing some research on myths and legends, and was hoping you could point me in the right direction." He made his voice as warm and rich as fresh cream and whiskey, and he could see her relax a little. Or, at least she wasn't looking at him now as if she'd been robbed and he was the prime suspect. "Follow me," she said as she walked around the end of the counter toward the back of the room. She went through a door into a smaller room filled with books from floor to ceiling. Going immediately to a floor-level shelf in the very back, she ran a finger over the hardbound volumes until she found what she was looking for. "These will help you." She handed him three large books. "Once you find what you want to know, we can cross-reference it with other available writings.

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Blood Line There are some old newspaper stories about people who claimed to have seen vampires, witches and werewolves in this one. As well as stories of children being snatched from their beds by witches who melted the fat off them and drank it so they could fly,” she told him without cracking the tiniest smile. “There are books available, as well, with drawings and cartoons, if you’re interested in those. Just let me know." He watched her walk stiffly away and then began thumbing through the books. They were fascinatingly horrific stories of all manor of evil doing by witches and warlocks, vampires and goblins, but the one that caught his eye was the accounting by three eyewitnesses who swore they saw a man change into a werewolf under a full moon. The story detailed a description of the werewolf and it sounded amazingly like the ones Josh had seen for himself. Hell, it sounded amazingly like Josh, himself. The story said the events had happened in a small town called Wolf Bayou. Josh laughed—nothing obvious, there—and closed the book. He cleared his throat as he approached the desk again. "Excuse me; can you give me directions to a town called Wolf Bayou?" "I don't know that you'd call it a town." She almost smiled. "It's more like a wide spot in the swamp." ***** The ancient black woman sat rocking slowly back and forth on the wooden plank walk that ran in front of the old store. The sun warmed her skin, not yet unbearable. The skies were clear and blue and the gentle breeze held back the humidity . . . for now, anyway. Ganda didn't mind the heat or the humidity; it didn't cause her joints to ache the way the cold did. The climate was why she'd chosen Louisiana in the first place. She'd lived here long enough to see the swamps encroached upon, inch by

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Rie McGaha inch, as more and more people moved in. She'd seen the country lose many of its wild animals as it gained more and more human ones. She couldn't do anything about that, though, and she'd not tried. "Just the nature of the beast, so to speak," she said, and then chuckled at her own joke. Humans multiplied, especially in the twentieth century, and as they multiplied, they became cramped, and seeking relief, moved to areas of the country that were less inhabited, until there was no place that was left uninhabited. She drained the last of the tea from her cup then set it on the wooden walk beside her chair, leaned her head back, and closed her eyes. She could see him coming, knew he would arrive later that same night, and she'd not stop this one. His quest was not like the others that had come before him. The ones who'd not survived. She hadn't enjoyed killing them, but to do so had been necessary for her own survival. This one did not come to claim her life, nor did he come to try to change her mind, or even to gain the knowledge that she had for his own gain. He came simply because he had to. Because he was trying to survive. So she'd let him come. She’d even sent him a very subtle message to guide him to the Lafayette library, and then she’d sent a message to Lucy, the old sourpuss of a librarian, to give him what he needed.

***** Josh drove through the rest of the day until he was sure he was not just lost, but lost in a swamp full of eerie sounds, not to mention alligators. Turning on the dome light in the car, he peered at the directions the lady at the library had written down for him, trying to decipher them in the dim light. According to her, he should have already arrived in the little town. Crumpling the piece of paper, he turned off the interior light and continued down the road.

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Blood Line He had to come to some type of civilization at some point, so he drove on into the night. An hour later, his eyes burning, he saw a light up ahead. Finally! At least he could get directions and find a hotel for the night. He wheeled into the little store, grateful it was still open since it was well after ten o'clock. There wasn't another car in the dirt parking lot and he couldn't see anyone through the storefront's plate glass window. He pushed on the door, surprised when it swung open. A little bell attached to the frame jingled as he crossed the threshold. He looked around the small, empty room. Who left a store unmanned in the middle of the night? "Hello?" He called out, his neck hairs rising at the eerie silence. No answer. "Hello?" he said a little louder. Still no answer, so he walked across the room to a door at the end of the counter. It was ajar, so he pushed and it opened all the way. "Hello?" "Hello." The old, raspy voice came from behind him. Josh whirled around to find himself looking down at a little, old, black lady. "Excuse me, but I didn't see anyone when I came in," he said. She looked up at him with jet black eyes. Her gray hair was pulled into a tight bun at the nape of her neck, her mouth drawn into a bow, and the lines and creases in her skin made him think of a raisin. She must be at least ninety if she's a day. She was stooped over and leaning heavily on a wooden cane, but even if she'd been able to stand up straight, he didn't think she'd have reached five feet tall. She wore a faded brown dress that buttoned down the front, stockings rolled to her knees, and a pair of heavy, black shoes that clunked against the floor with each step as she went back around the counter and sat in a rocking chair. "Whadda ya want?" The chair creaked as she rocked slowly back and forth. "I seem to be lost," he said. "I'm looking for Wolf Bayou, but apparently, I

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Rie McGaha either missed it, or missed the entire road I was supposed to be on. But right now, if you could just tell me where I might find a motel, I'd be grateful." The old woman looked him up and down, rocking slowly back and forth. "'Pears you found it all right, but they ain't no motel here," she said, her voice surprisingly strong for her age. "This is Wolf Bayou?" She chuckled. "This is it." "Sorry, hope I didn't offend you. I just thought I had missed it somewhere." "Most people miss it 'cause they want to. Not many get out this far in the swamp. What brings you?" "Research." He told the lie easily enough. It's what he'd told the library clerk, and about as close to the truth as he could get without people thinking he was insane. "Research?" She chuckled again. "I suppose you could call it that." "Excuse me?" "You come lookin' for answers, boy, but not like the others that've come. They come lookin' for power, for fame among their own, but they didn't know what they was askin' for." Josh looked at her more closely. Could it be . . . ? "Ma'am, might I ask your name?" "Use your senses. You already know my name," she said as she peered up at him with those black, knowing eyes. "Ganda?" He said it slowly, awe vibrating in his voice. "That's the name my father gave me, though it wasn't my mother's first choice," she said, and chuckled. "I knew you was coming, but I wasn't sure you'd find me. And I wasn't goin' to help you get here, well not much, anyway. You had to do that your own self. But here you stand." She rose to her feet. "Come on, boy." Walking around the counter, she pointed with her cane, and told him,

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Blood Line "Shut that door and lock it." Turning the deadbolt, he locked the door and then followed her through another door at the end of the counter. Ganda moved slowly, leading him through the storeroom to a set of stairs that went up to the second floor. She started the steep climb, and Josh followed her, waiting patiently for the old woman to take each step, beginning to think they'd never reach the top. At the landing, she pushed open another door and Josh followed her inside. Ganda pulled a string hanging from a bare bulb in the ceiling, casting light into the room. Josh curiously took in his surroundings. A single bed had been pushed against the wall to the right, with a dresser at the foot of the bed. To Josh's left was an L-shaped counter running down one wall and turning against the other. It held a sink, some shelves above it, a small gas stove, and an oldfashioned refrigerator. A small wooden kitchen table with four chairs sat on an old, frayed, braided rug, which lay upon an old and scuffed tile floor. Opposite the kitchen was a living area with an overstuffed sofa against the wall, a wooden rocking chair off to the side, and a battered wooden coffee table sat in the middle of it all. Ganda hobbled to the sink. She turned on the tap, and then took the teapot off the stove and filled it. She struck a match and turned the knob, and the blue flame came to life. She took two cups from the shelf, put them on the table and then sat to wait for the water to heat. Josh took a chair and watched her. She turned toward him, her expression soft and her eyes watery. She looked weary. "They say you're trying to die of old age," he said quietly. "Do they?" She smiled. "Guess I am; been livin' too long. I'm tired." "You want to die?" "I can't say it's a matter of wantin' one thing or the other. I just want to undo what's been done and haven't found the way." "You mean, undo becoming a wolf?” The teakettle sang and Ganda brought the pot of boiling water to the

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Rie McGaha table, filled the cups, plopped a tea bag in each one, and sat back down. Then she picked up a spoon and stirred, leveling her gaze at him. "The wolf can't be undone. Once it's done, you learn to live with it. One way or the other." She added honey from a little plastic bear in the middle of the table and blew on the hot liquid. Josh stared into his cup. His shoulders slumped. "It's not the end of the world," she said and patted his hand. "Then why have you chosen to hide here in the swamp? Why have you chosen not to change in centuries? Why are you allowing yourself to wither away like this?" Holding the cup in both withered hands, she blew on it again, slurped loudly, then set the cup back down. "My story is a long one, and there isn't time tonight. If you want to eat, there's some cornbread and gumbo in the icebox there. I'll heat it for you." "No, thank you. I'm fine. I don't want to put you to any trouble," he said and shook his head. "No trouble, boy," she told him, getting up from the table. She opened the refrigerator door, pulled a bowl and plastic wrapped cornbread from the shelf. Then she got a small pan from the cupboard and set it on a burner, placed the contents of the bowl in it and lit the fire. She put the cornbread on a pie tin and slid it into the oven. It didn't take long before the soup bubbled. She pulled the oven door open, and placed the soup in a bowl, put the cornbread on a plate and set it on the table. All this, without saying another word. Josh buttered the bread and spooned up a big bite of the gumbo. He hadn't realized he was so hungry until he took that first bite, and he practically inhaled the rest of it, and then used the cornbread to wipe his bowl. "Thank you, ma'am, that was delicious. You're a good cook," he said, wiping his mouth. "I guess I should be—I've got several hundred years practice," she said

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Blood Line and laughed at herself. "You want some more?" "If it's not too much trouble." He slid his bowl toward her and she poured the rest of the contents of the pan into it and added another piece of cornbread. While he ate, she went to her bed and picked up the comforter folded on the foot of it and carried it to the sofa. "You'll sleep here," she said and spread the blanket out. "Thank you." He scraped his bowl and carried it and his cup to the sink, then washed and rinsed them, and set them in the drainer. He covered his mouth to stifle a yawn. "I think I could use a little sleep." "So could I. We'll talk in the morning. I know you have lots of questions, and I'll try to give you the answers." She sat on her bed as he went to the sofa. "There's a toilet through there." She pointed to the door next to the sofa. "I'm good for now, but thanks," he said and pulled his shoes off. A moment later, she pulled the light string and they were enveloped in darkness.

Chapter Six They sat companionably side by side on the veranda that overlooked the small back yard. The close-cropped lawn sloped down to the waters edge where cypress trees grew along the banks, hanging thick with Spanish moss. Someone had planted a flower garden that grew wild with every color of bloom imaginable. The scent was thick on the air and bees buzzed from flower to flower as butterflies flitted and looped around them. Josh and Ganda sat in silence for a long time, enjoying the sunshine as much as they enjoyed the company. "You thinkin' ‘bout your woman," she said, breaking the silence, though she continued staring across the yard. Josh took a long pull from his bottle of Coke, and then said, "I'm always thinking about her. I miss her when she's not with me, but I couldn't let her come this time."

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Rie McGaha Nodding, she continued to rock back and forth, sipping on a cup of tea sweetened with honey. "This is going to get harder for you. It's dangerous and you have a long fight ahead of you." "But I don't understand. A werewolf that was trying to kill me, trying to kill my wife, attacked me. What was I supposed to do?" "You did what anyone would've done, there's no faulting you for that. The fault lies with the one who attacked you and the ones who will try to kill you." "Tell me about them," he said and looked at her. "The one you killed had been on this earth as long as I have. His name was Amcor, and I knew him well a very long time ago. When I knew him, he was young and charming and brought me flowers from the woods. In those days there were very few people and we could live as we chose, where we chose, without fear of detection, or fear of being hunted. We lived openly as both human and wolf." Josh nodded as he listened. He remembered the gray wolf telling him the dead wolf's name, and now she was telling him she’d known him for centuries. This just kept getting weirder and weirder. "I was young, carefree, and foolish, as I suppose we all are in our youth." She smiled and winked at him as she continued her story. "A young girl enjoys the attentions of a handsome young man, but I would never commit to Amcor, no matter how hard he tried to win my heart. Foolish though I may have been, I was not foolhardy. I did know my own heart, and it never belonged to him. He could never accept that and went so far as to approach my father, hoping to convince him to encourage me to marry him. But my father was a wise man and remembered how it was between him and my mother when they were young and foolish and fell in love. He wanted the same for me." She smiled as the memories swam vividly before her. "He wouldn't take no for an answer." She shrugged and emptied her cup. "Well, I never really gave him a definite no, either. I guess you could say I led

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Blood Line him on for a very long time. I know now, of course, what a dangerous game I was playing, but then, it seemed so innocent, so carefree and lighthearted. I don't know just how long it went on, time wasn't reckoned then the way it is now, and of course, we had so much of it. But then I met Colin, and I swear my heart stood still in my chest! "He was the most handsome man I had ever seen! He was young and tall, with eyes the color of the sky in summer and hair as black as night. It was love at first sight for both of us. We married under the light of the full moon on the summer solstice. He knew me for what I was and loved me still. I was even more foolish with him and when he asked me to make him what I am, I did it without even considering the cost." She closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead, obviously disturbed by some of the memories she'd dredged up. Josh noticed the cadence of her voice; her manner of speech had changed from the way she had spoken when he’d first arrived. He sat in thoughtful silence for a long moment before he spoke. "You made him into a wolf?" At her nod, he continued. "But you were born a wolf?" "Yes, I am wolf by birth. It happened quite often in those days, before we were hunted like animals. Before we were thought of as monsters. As the human population grew and they discovered us, at first, they revered us as some kind of gods. Then, as we became more powerful, more prolific, we were hunted, and it became kill or be killed. It became a never-ending cycle that gave way to the myths and legends known today. Every myth and legend has some basis in truth that has been perverted along the way until it's so distorted the truth becomes lost. "After that time, most of us saw the horror our children would be subjected to, and how it would only become worse with time, and we chose to not have children. Over the years, we adapted as animals do, and there has not been a wolf offspring in over two thousand years. The only new ones are those like yourself, those who are made by others."

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Rie McGaha "Amcor was born a wolf then?" "Yes, he was born of a wolf that had been made by my father. My father was the Alpha male and in the early days, there were very few like him. As people came to inhabit the earth and multiplied, my father was not known as a werewolf, but simply a wolf, a predator that was a danger to their sheep. They didn’t know the man and the wolf were one and the same." Ganda sighed. "One night, a trap had been set and my father was caught in it. When the human who had set it came to kill him, my father turned him into a wolf. He then turned his woman into a wolf and that is how Amcor came to be. All of this happened shortly before my birth. "My mother wasn't wolf, nor was she quite human. She was a witch and had been in the Other World long before the earth was formed. She was the reason my father became human, but that is another story. Anyway, there was the chance I would not be a wolf, or at least my mother made herself believe there was a chance. She knew her offspring were cursed, as well, but she believed her magic, and her love for my father, would be stronger and I would be born like her. It was a chance she was willing to take because of the love she felt for my father. "It's not apparent until puberty that a child is wolf, but I was not human. I was part wolf and mostly witch, so the wolf appeared when I was much younger. I could bring on the change very early through temper or pain. Even as a child, if I had a tantrum, I could bring the wolf. But as I grew and matured, I also learned to control it much easier and could walk in the human and witch worlds equally." Josh laughed. "Now you're telling me witchcraft is involved in all of this, too?" "To an extent, at least in the early times," she said and rose slowly from her rocker. "Do you want another Coke?" "No, thank you," he said, looking at the bottle in his hand.

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Blood Line She brought a full cup of tea with her when she returned to the veranda and sat down again in the rocker. She sipped from her cup and rocked slowly back and forth, then continued telling her story. "When I married Colin, it never occurred to me that Amcor would seek revenge, but he did. Colin and I left the forest where I was born and raised, thinking if we lived somewhere else, Amcor would eventually meet someone and leave us alone, but he didn't. "Once we find our mate, we never take another. Even if our mate dies, there is never another. And Colin was mine. Amcor never understood that and never took a mate of his own. "We crossed the great sea and found a land where we were positive Amcor would never find us. And for a time, we lived in peace. Of course, as humans reckon time, we had thousands of years together, but when you live forever, a few thousand years is nothing. Amcor found us, oh, I guess it's been maybe three thousand years ago now, and he killed my husband. I fled. I returned to my father's house only to learn that Amcor had killed him, as well. My mother was barely alive, breathed only because she had no choice. I couldn't comfort her, but she’d passed on to me the love she and my father shared. Then she died." "I'm sorry," Josh said quietly. They sat for a time without speaking, and then he asked, "Your mother was a witch; I thought witches were immortal?" "As immortal as you are, Joshua, but you can be killed, you can die. Just as I can. It's just more difficult." She rose from her rocker, leaned heavily on her cane. "These old bones ache terribly. Come inside; I'll fix us something to eat." "I'll come inside, but only if you let me cook," he told her with a grin. "Can you?" "Well, maybe not in the conventional sense, but I can turn a steak on a grill." Ganda laughed. "Well, run on downstairs and get a bag of that charcoal and get the grill ready then. I'll get the steaks ready and make a potato salad."

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Rie McGaha They sat out on the veranda while Josh turned steaks and Ganda served sweet iced tea. Evening was falling and the night creatures were stirring. Crickets chirped and the mosquitoes made a loud noise as they were electrocuted in the bug zapper. Ganda and Josh ate their supper, chatting about things of no real importance, but enjoying each other's company. When they finished eating, Josh insisted Ganda sit in her rocker while he cleaned up; it took him less than fifteen minutes. He took a bottle of Coke from the fridge, and went back onto the veranda, sitting in the cool of the evening. "They're coming, you know," he said quietly. "I know. I didn't know if you were aware of it yet. Sometimes accepting the wolf-sense is difficult for those who have lived as humans most of their lives. You seem to have gained control over the wolf. Accepted it, embraced it." He snorted. "I wasn't left with much choice, but I wouldn’t exactly say that I’ve embraced it, either. They would have killed me at the clan meeting if I hadn't let the wolf run. It wasn’t my own power that saved my ass up there, it was the wolf's. By the way, why weren't you there?" "I'm one of the last of the original clan. The silver wolf that you met, Garan, he is the only other of my blood left. Neither of us is compelled anymore as the rest of you are. He goes only because he is trying to hold onto the old ways, and standing before the clans, seeing all the new blood, gives him hope for the future. We don't have to live within a clan, as with the original wolf; we can live either in clans or alone, it's our choice. What are you going to do about your woman?" "What do you mean?" "She will want to be what you are." He shook his head. "I won't let that happen. I want to undo what has been done to me; I certainly won't allow it to be done to her." "You don't have much time now; they've tracked you. I still have some

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Blood Line powers without changing and I'll be able to confuse them for a while. At least until you're able to get far away from here. But you need to listen carefully now." She swallowed the rest of her tea. "Now, I'm going to tell you something that I've not told another. Ever. This is something that was discovered quite by accident a very long time ago and now I'm telling it to you. There is another way to kill a werewolf besides cutting off its head. You can shoot them." "I was told the silver bullet thing was just in the movies, that it really only slowed them down." "True, but you haven't heard the rest." She rocked steadily back and forth. "You have to take a silver bullet and fill it with a mixture of fifty percent powdered copper and fifty percent arsenic. You can then shoot to kill. Literally." Josh made a mental note of the information and got to his feet. "It's been nice spending this time with you. I hope I get to see you again." She studied him for a long moment, searching his face, then took a deep breath and exhaled. "I never had a son, Josh, but I'd like to think if I had, he would've been like you." She reached for him, and Josh took her hand and helped her to her feet so that she stood in front of him. Looking up at him, she placed one dark, crooked hand against his cheek. "You come back here anytime, boy. I'll be lookin' for you." Josh took her hand in his and kissed the back of it. "Thank you, ma'am. I'll never forget you and I'll be back when I can." "You're a good boy, and you take good care of that woman of yours. Bring her 'round next time you come." "I will," he said. He put his arms around her small shoulders, and she hugged him close. "One more thing—wait a moment," she said and went back inside. When she returned, she carried a large leather bag with a long strap. "Take this." "What is it?"

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Rie McGaha "In my day, we called it a possibles bag. You'll find it comes in handy with the wolf. You need to put a change of clothes in it, and whatever weapons you want to carry. Keep it with you so you'll have clothing to put on after the wolf is gone, and weapons to use when you change. You’ll find Colin’s Gurka is in there, too." She grinned at him. "Nothing worse than winding up naked somewhere and trying to get to some clothing without people noticing! Used to drive my Colin crazy when he'd be out at night and the wolf would come. His clothes would shred with the change and he'd be left naked as the day he was born. I made him the bag and he kept a change of clothes in it, but if he could, he would also make sure he was already naked before he called the wolf to save on clothing. Sometimes you have no choice—it happens too fast—but the bag will solve at least one of your problems." “Thank you,” he said and took the satchel. He kissed her cheek and then ran down the stairs, jumped into his truck, fired up the engine and drove quickly away. He headed down the two-lane road into the dark of the swamp. The thick night air came in through the open window, and the sounds of the night echoed loudly in his ears, grating on his nerves. Bullfrogs croaked, insects buzzed, night birds sang. Josh could only guess as to what else might be slithering through the dark water in search of a meal. He heard the first howl in the distance and knew they had found him. Hoping he would come to the main road soon, he hit the gas. If he could just get to the interstate, it would be more difficult for them to find him. He hadn't gone more than another mile when he saw the roadblock in the headlights. The werewolves stood three deep across both lanes. Josh didn't hesitate. He pushed the accelerator to the floor, bracing himself for impact. The speedometer needle crept up to ninety and he crashed into them. The first one bounced off the hood, hit the windshield, cracked it, and rolled over the top of the cab. The second one flew off to the side and two more clung to the hood.

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Blood Line The impact had slowed him down, so he shifted gears, worked the clutch and the gas, trying to bring the speed back up. He swerved left and then right, and the two wolves on the hood rolled onto the ground. The little truck picked up speed and he felt the light bed of the vehicle begin to fishtail. As he fought the wheel for control, he spotted more wolves out of the corner of his eye as they came at him from the bank. He swerved again, but they broadsided the driver's door. Josh felt the truck shudder and then go airborne. It rolled over twice and landed on its side. Josh hung from the seatbelt, as the black swamp water filled the cab. Calling to the wolf within, he brought on the change. His clothes shredded, the seat belt ripped. The roof of the truck bulged and screeched as metal bent and then gave way as the wolf’s head and body pushed through it. Josh felt for the leather bag Ganda had given him, grabbed it and jumped out of the vehicle. Looking around with the wolf's night vision, he sized up his opponents. None of them matched his size, and he felt his first surge of hope since being forced off the road. As the first wolf attacked, Josh landed a fist in his chest, sending him flying backward. He caught the second one with a foot to the groin, noting the maneuver worked just as well on the male wolf as it did on human males. Sticking his head and one arm through the strap of the leather bag, Josh allowed it to rest across his chest. When he reached inside, he found the knife Ganda had given him. The blade was about sixteen inches long and curved like the ones he'd seen in pirate movies, the handle fit his paw and the weapon had a perfect weight. He knew it had been custom-made for someone of his size and strength. Leaning over, he grabbed the first wolf by the hair of its head, lifting it so the neck was exposed, and sliced its throat clear through. He let the head fall into the water, and then severed the head of the second one as the first burst into

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Rie McGaha flames. The sound of crashing footfalls filled the air and Josh didn't hesitate. He took off, running fast. He had to get out of the swamp before they found him. He could take one or even two at a time, but all of them together would tear him to pieces, and leave the pieces to the alligators. He ran deeper into the woods, jumping fallen trees, and ducking under low-hanging limbs. The sounds of pursuit had grown fainter, so he slowed his pace some, listening for some sign of civilization. Hearing nothing, he picked up the pace again and headed west. He was bound to come to a road eventually. Night creatures scattered as he ran, and it gave him a feeling of superiority he'd never known before. Never as a human would he have gone near a swamp like this one; he had a healthy fear of alligators and snakes and knew both slithered here. But tonight, they were the ones avoiding him. Somewhere on the other side of the trees, he heard the sounds of car engines. He picked up his pace until he reached the edge of the woods. Headlights flashed in the distance. He hopped over the chain link fence and wolf became man once again. Digging into the leather bag, he pulled out a change of clothes, dressed quickly and walked up the bank to the roadway. He looked up and down the four-lane highway, trying to get his bearings. Where in the hell was he? Something told him to go left, so he headed in that direction, staying a little off to the side of the embankment and avoiding the traffic for the time being. He knew the wolves would still be after him, so he began to jog, finally finding a sign. Highway 1. He breathed a sigh of relief and hurried on northward. Thirty minutes later, he saw a gas station sign looming ahead at the next exit. The truck stop sign lit up the entire area and Josh jogged the rest of the way there, hoping to hitch a ride.

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Blood Line ***** The driver took him as far as the Checotah exit in Oklahoma. He'd used the trucker's cell phone to call Jessie and she met him there at the truck stop. Jessie studied her husband as he crossed the truck stop parking lot. He was dirty and obviously tired, he had mud in his hair . . . and Jessie had never seen a man looking so damn good in her life. She flung herself into his arms and kissed him like she'd never kiss him again "Oh God, I missed you," she said between kisses, and rubbed her hands over his back. "You feel so good . . . smell so good . . . look so good," he told her. "C'mon, we've got to go, babe, we don't have time to stay here. If they pick up my scent they'll know where we are and I just want to put as many miles between us and them as possible." Hanging onto him as they walked across the parking lot to her Jeep Wrangler, Jessie said, "I'll drive." "No problem," he said. They headed south on Highway 69 and he was asleep before they'd gone ten miles.

Chapter Seven Josh rolled over, threw his arm around Jessie and pulled her against him, her soft ass cheeks nestled against his cock. When she shifted in her sleep, he groaned and she wiggled against him. Sliding his hand over her stomach, caressing her smooth, soft skin, he cupped her breast. Her nipple puckered against his palm. He kissed her shoulder then nipped the soft skin where her neck curved, and she moaned softly. Need curled through him, clutched his loins in its tight grip. Grinding his hips, he press his dick against her, and she scooted onto her back, threw her legs

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Rie McGaha over his so that her already slick pussy was positioned against him. Gripping her thighs, Josh slid into her in one hard, long stroke. He pounded into her, hard and fast, and quicker than he would have liked, he came, pouring his seed deep inside her. She stroked his chest, and mumbled good morning without even opening her eyes. He chuckled and replied, "Good morning." They disengaged themselves and stretched. He kissed her. "Let's get a shower together, okay?" "Mmmm, let's get coffee first," she suggested, then kissed him again. "You stay, I'll get it started." He rolled out of bed and walked through the living room. "Ahhhh!" The scream pierced Josh's ears. His sleepy, sated mind took several seconds to register that his sister-in-law stood in the kitchen, one hand over her mouth, the other holding the coffee pot in mid-air. Her wide eyes were glued on his naked crotch. "Sonofabitch!" Josh quickly covered himself and beat a hasty retreat back to the bedroom. "You could've told me your sister was still here!" Jess was holding her stomach, laughing so hard she had tears streaming down her cheeks. "I'm sorry, I didn't even think about it!" She wiped her face as he jerked his jeans off the foot of the bed and pulled them on. He bent over the bed and began tickling her. "Think it's funny, huh?" She screeched and tried to roll away from him, but he caught her, and nipped her on the ass. "Ow!" She slapped at him and then scooted off the other side of the bed. She grabbed her robe and slipped into it. "I thought we were having coffee," she said, tossing her head as she slid by him. "Good morning," Terri said over the top of her coffee cup as Josh and

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Blood Line Jessie walked into the kitchen. She had a bemused look on her face. "I see why you married him now." She ran her tongue over her teeth and wiggled her eyebrows up and down. Jess laughed again as she pulled two cups off the shelf. Josh shot his sisterin-law a hard look and swatted his wife on the ass. "I'll fix your breakfast." Jess laid a hand on his cheek and kissed him sweetly. She pulled ingredients out of the fridge and arranged them on the counter. Soon, the smell of sizzling bacon filled the kitchen, and Josh's stomach rumbled noisily. When breakfast was ready, the three of them sat together and ate, chatting in between mouthfuls of scrambled eggs and toast. When they finished, Terri volunteered to clean up and Jess took Josh by the hand and led him back into the bedroom. "And what are you doing?" He raised a brow at her. "What do you mean?" She replied innocently as she turned from him and went into their bathroom. He followed her and she turned the taps in the Jacuzzi tub. Slipping out of her robe and into the bubbling water, she sank beneath the surface. When she popped back up, she held out her hand, beckoning him to join her. Josh kicked his jeans off and slipped into the water. She wrapped her arms around his neck, slid onto his lap and wrapped her legs around his waist. They looked into each other's eyes, and kissed softly. "Mmmm-hmmm." She tugged at his bottom lip with her teeth. "Don't kiss me back," she whispered, "just let me kiss you, I've missed you so much." His breath caught as she licked his lips, gently outlining them with the tip of her tongue. She explored his face, kissing his eyes, his cheeks, and his forehead. She ran her tongue over his temple, kissed him softly and then ran her

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Rie McGaha tongue to his ear, sucking the lobe into her mouth. Her warm breath made him tingle as his skin broke out in goose flesh. Moving off his lap to the built-in seat in the corner of the tub, she crooked a finger at him. He followed like an obedient pup. He sat between her thighs, his back toward her, and she ran soapy hands over his neck and shoulders, massaging him lightly. She slid her hands down the front of him, to massage his chest, and he let his head fall back into her lap, his eyes closed, his arms floating weightlessly in the water. Her hands continued to roam, down his stomach, back up his rib cage, her nails raking lightly over his wet skin. Moving from behind him into the water between his legs, Jessie sat back on her heels and massaged his feet and legs. She ran her hands under the water, up his inner thighs and found his thick cock semi-erect. Stroking him slowly from the base to the wide tip, she took a breath and went under water. A second later, he felt her warm mouth encircling his length. He gripped her shoulders as she sucked him until he grew rock-hard. Josh lifted his hips until he was out of the water. Jess released him, took a breath, and then lowered her head and took him into her mouth again. With one hand wrapped around the base of his dick, squeezing and massaging, she worked her lips and tongue around the thick head. With the other hand, she massaged his balls, and Josh gasped and braced his knees and feet against the tub. Wrapping his hands in her wet hair, he urged her to take him faster, deeper. She pushed his hands away and looked up at him. "God, Jess! Don't stop." "Then keep your hands to yourself and let me do this my way." She smiled seductively and twirled her tongue around the head of his cock. He gripped the sides of the tub, closed his eyes and nodded. Jess smiled inwardly and kissed his stomach as she moved up his body.

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Blood Line She flicked her tongue over his nipples, felt them harden in response. She was lost in this man, lost in the feel of him, lost in the want of him. He'd been her first, her last. Her only. He was everything she'd ever thought of having, everything she'd imagined making love to a man could be. And even when her friends had gone on to college without her, had dated endless streams of men, she'd never felt like she'd missed out. Need blossomed inside her, curling through her body like rich, heady smoke. Her skin hummed as her blood heated and coursed through her veins. Every nerve vibrated. She took a deep breath, reined in the desire that was pulling her to just take him, to fill herself with him, to ride him to completion. Instead, she rose up, leaned into him and let her breasts brush over his face. His mouth opened and she allowed a nipple to drop into it. He sucked greedily, and heat flash straight to her pussy, a nearly painful sensation. She took slow, deep breaths, tried to quell the urge to take, but the desire, the raw need, was too great. Rising above him, she braced her knees on the edge of the tub, her hands against the wall, and lowered her pussy to his mouth. He grasped her thighs, his tongue lapped at her, delving deeply into her wet heat. He flicked the tip of his tongue over her erect clit and sucked it into his mouth. She threw her head back, arched, and pressed her tits against the cool wall. The contrast of temperature, cool on her nipples, hot against her pussy . . . the orgasm slammed through her and she screamed with release. Collapsing forward, Jess slid down the wall, slid over Josh’s body, back into the warm water. Wrapping his arms around her, he held her to him, with her head resting limply on his shoulder. Her body shook as she struggled for breath, willing her erratic heartbeat back to normal. When she'd calmed, he turned the jets off, flipped the drain open and stepped out of the tub. Picking up the over-sized towel, he held it for her in one hand, then pulled her to her feet with the other, and wrapped the towel around

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Rie McGaha her. Picking her up easily, he carried her to the bed and laid her on the mattress. "Don't move. I'll be right back." He returned to the bathroom, coming back a few moments later with a second towel. Gently, lovingly, he dried Jessie's face and hair. Then he unwrapped her and kissed each bit of rosy skin. Jessie lay before him on the bed, her hair in wet, dark ropes against the pillow, her body soft and pliant beneath his touch. Her eyes half-shut, she floated on a sea of erotic sensations. Josh leaned over her, gently kissing her lips, trailing kisses down her throat to her breasts. He sucked a nipple deep into his mouth, rolling it with his tongue. She moaned and stroked his hair, then parted her legs as he slid on top of her. He entered her slowly, taking his time to feel her closing around him, inch by inch. Lifting her hips, she pick up his rhythm, their hands fit palm-to-palm, fingers laced. A mating not of heated lust, but of impassioned love. And how he loved this woman. With his eyes closed, he let himself fall into the sensations filling his body and his mind. Loving her slowly now, he reveled in the feel of her body beneath his, her nipples tight buds against his chest. His blood simmered in his veins, her scent grew into a distant buzz in his head. He moved over her. He moved inside of her. She contracted her muscles around him, and he growled deep in his throat. When he came, he buried his face in her wet hair and let himself spill inside of her. Chapter Eight Jessie wandered out to the workshop in search of her husband. Two

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Blood Line weeks had passed since Josh had returned from his trip to Louisiana, and so far, all was quiet. But Jess had a feeling that would change soon. She found Josh sitting on a stool at his workbench. "I brought you a sandwich and a Coke," she said, setting the tray next to him. "What are you doing?" She looked at the scales, the tins of powder, the bullets and casings. “I’m finishing this.” He picked up a bullet and showed her. “I called Jim last week and had him make these silver bullets for me. He brought them by early this morning. I'm just glad the price of silver is as low as it is, but even at that rate it cost a small fortune!" "Speaking of which, I noticed there's a new truck in the driveway. Any idea how it got there?" Josh ducked his head. "Yeah. I kind of bought it. Had to, since I trashed the last one in the swamp. Besides, you won't let me touch your Jeep." "Damn straight, buster." Jess laughed and nodded toward the bullet in Josh's hand. "What do you do with them now?" He took a bite out of the sandwich, swallowed a long drink of the Coke. "See," he said as he turned the bullet upside down. "It's hollow. I'll fill these with the arsenic and copper mixture, seal them with the rest of the silver I’ve melted down, and set them in a casing. Then it's bye-bye werewolves!" He winked at her, and then attacked his sandwich in earnest. "Well, have fun." She kissed him. "Terri and I are going into town to do a little shopping. You need anything?" He slid his hand inside her shirt, found a breast, and fingered her nipple through the sheer material of her bra. He kissed her deeply. "I just need you," he said as he slid his hand over her ass. "But I'll settle for some of those jalapeno Pringles and some jerky." "Ha! You and your junk food."

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Rie McGaha Josh watched her walking away, admiring her ass in her tight-fitting jeans. God, how he wanted her . . . always seemed to want her. His cock stirred, but he pushed his illicit thoughts aside and turned back to the task at hand. His friend, Jim, had laughed when he'd requested five thousand hollow silver bullets, but hadn't charged him anything for the work, just the cost of the silver. Josh bought an additional five pounds to melt down at home to finish making the bullets. After all, he couldn't exactly tell Jim he was going to fill the bullets with powdered copper and arsenic to kill werewolves. Using the old hand loader his dad had left him, Josh started finishing off the bullets. He poured the arsenic into one container, and the powdered copper into the other one on top of the loader. Then he placed half a dozen bullets in the little rack, put them under the dispenser and pulled the handle. Equal amounts of arsenic and copper flowed into separate tubes, and then combined in a single tube to fill each of the silver bullets. He moved the bullets down so a rod slid on top of the powder and firmly tamped the arsenic mixture. Next, he moved the rack down the line, pulled the lever that released the premeasured amount of melted silver, letting it pour over the powdered substance and seal the bullets. He moved that rack farther down so the silver could cool, and then repeated the process using six more racks that held six bullets each, filling them with arsenic and powdered copper and sealing them with more silver. As the bullets cooled, he dumped them into a bin and put the rack back in line, repeating the process until he'd finished the first thousand. Taking the casings, he started the process of filling them with the carefully measured gunpowder, topped each one with a silver bullet, placed it under the crimper and seated the bullet firmly in the casing. He'd made sure to set the gunpowder for a medium charge since he wouldn't need a magnum. He wasn't counting on the impact to do the killing, but rather the combination of silver, copper and arsenic. If the bullets had a magnum charge, they would cause too

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Blood Line many shoot-throughs, which would just leave holes in the beasts, but cause no real damage. Picking up one of the finished bullets, he turned it over and said a quick prayer Ganda was right. He'd have no way of finding out until he was face to face with one of the werewolves he was going to kill. "Hi-ho silver," he said and grinned, then set the bullet back with the others. Chapter Nine Jessie and Terri returned from their shopping spree later that evening and Josh helped unload the bags from the back of the Jeep. "Do we have any money left?" He laughed and dropped an armful of bags on the kitchen table. "Enough to keep you going on the Coke you drink for a few more days," she told him as she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. "As long as there's Coke for me, that's all that matters," he said and patted her ass, then started digging through the bags for the can of jalapeno-flavored Pringles. He popped the top off the chips just as she handed him a bag of charcoal. Josh stared at the bag a moment, trying to figure out how to eat the chips now that both his hands were full. Tossing Jessie a grin, he tipped the can up and used his tongue to slide a chip into his mouth. "Smart ass," she said, shaking her head. "Start the grill. I bought steaks." Still crunching the chips, he walked onto the deck, and dropped the bag next to the grill. Lifting the lid, he started the process of cleaning out the old ashes and starting a new fire. From the open sliding glass door he could hear his wife and her sister talking as they put groceries away, then the sound of Chris Isaak's haunting voice drifted to him as Jessie turned the volume up on the

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Rie McGaha stereo. Setting a match to the charcoal, he gazed across the yard at the land surrounding his home. There was a sense of peace here; it was what had drawn them to the place. The quiet, the lack of neighbors, the lack of traffic. The abundance of open spaces, of flowers, trees, and wildlife. Life was good here. He wanted it to stay that way. "Jess wants to know if the grill's ready yet?" Terri asked from the open door. "Not yet, give it another ten minutes," he said and followed her back inside. "What do you want to go with your steak? Salad? I've got corn on the cob, too. Want to grill that as well?" Jessie asked. "Sure, I like it better that way." Coming up behind her, he slid his hands under her shirt. Terri cleared her throat. "Get a room!" Jessie laughed, turned and pushed against Josh. "My big sister can't take it. Jealous, you know?" "I am not jealous. Just reminded constantly around here that I am currently over five months without a man. It's one thing not to be getting any, and quite another to be reminded of it every minute of every day!" "Poor baby. Here, take your mind off it. Shuck the corn and wrap them up so Josh can put them on the grill," Jess said and passed the bag across the table. "Have you heard from Tim?" "Nope, not a word." Terri shook her head and began pulling the husks off the ears of corn. "But I didn't expect to. He got what he wanted." "You are too calm about the whole thing." Jess shook her head. "If my husband was out screwing around, I'd be hunting his cheatin' ass down!" Josh raised an eyebrow. "Really?" "Absolutely, and don't you ever forget it, buster," she said and punched

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Blood Line him gently in the stomach. Josh caught her in a headlock. "Is that right? What are you going to do now, little girl?" She giggled and tried to step on his toe, but he moved too quickly for her. Then she tried a backward kick to the groin and he blocked her heel with his knee. He slid a hand over her stomach and started tickling her until she slid bonelessly to the floor at his feet. Terri shook her head. "You two act like a couple of twelve-year-olds, you know that? Leave my sister alone and put this corn on the grill, or it won't be ready before the steaks are." "Okay, okay." Josh laughed and let go of his wife. He took the corn from Terri then looked down at Jess. "You better consider giving up, 'cause I'll be right back and there's more where that came from!" She grappled for his ankle, but he dodged her with a quick side step. "You are so slow!" he said with a grin and walked outside. With the steaks marinating, the salad made and the corn grilling, Jess and Terri joined Josh on the deck. They sat around the patio table, the girls sipping on bottles of peach-flavored wine coolers. The evening was lovely and the setting sun washed the sky in red and orange. Josh reached for Jessie's hand, linked his fingers with hers, picked up her wine cooler and took a sip, made a face and handed it back to her. "Tastes like Kool-Aid," he said and washed the taste from his mouth with a Coke. "Then don't drink it." She took a swallow. "I like it." He lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed her fingertips. "I like you." He sucked one of her fingers into his mouth. "Hmmm, is that right?" The atmosphere suddenly grew heated. "That's enough, you two. There is someone else here," Terri said and frowned, tipping up her drink.

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Rie McGaha Jess giggled. Josh shot her an exasperated look. "We know!" He got up, checked the corn, moved it aside and went in the house to get the steaks. "Oh, I wish I had what you two have." Terri pulled on the bottle again. "Dammit!" Jess put her hand over her sister's. "I'm sorry things didn't work out with Tim." "Me too," she said and sighed. "Maybe it still will," Jess said hopefully. "I don't know if I'd want it to. He didn't just have an affair, Jess, he left me for another woman. I don't think I'd ever trust him again even if he did want to come back." "I know he hurt you, but I'm glad to hear you say that; you deserve so much better." "I think so, too." Terri's eyes filled. "Oh, I didn't mean to make you cry." Jess stood and wrapped her arms around her sister's shoulders. "You didn't, it's just still too new, too fresh and I'm still trying to get myself together." "I know, I know." "Hey," Josh said then stopped short. "Everything alright?" Jess looked up, smiled as a tear spilled over her cheek. "Yeah, we're fine." He set the platter of meat on the table, and wrapped his arms around both women and rocked them. After a moment he said, "Hey, I think we're having a family moment here." Terri laughed. Jessie smiled and said, "Okay, sweetie, get the steaks going; you've got hungry women here." "Yes, ma'am," he said and picked up the platter. The grill sizzled as the meat made contact. Moments later, the mouth-watering scent of barbequed meat filled the air.

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They ate outside over pleasant conversation. Jess and Terri told stories about one another from their childhood as Josh laughed and ribbed them both. Darkness began to fall as they cleared the table and carried everything back into the kitchen. "I'm tired," Terri said. "I think I'll go to bed now." "Okay, sweetie." Jess hugged her. "Have sweet dreams." "G'night," Josh said as she left the room. "Leave the dishes," he told Jessie and took her by the hand, leading her outside again. "Let's go for a walk." They walked passed the barn, hand in hand, with no destination in mind. Stopping in the middle of the pasture Josh plopped onto the ground, then drew Jess to him, cradling her against his chest. He kissed her softly, brushing his lips over hers, barely making contact. Electricity sizzled between them. Jess pulled back. "Josh, I want to talk to you." "Okay." He kissed her again. "Well, I can't talk when you kiss me," she said and pushed against his chest. "Okay." He pulled her back up against him and used his teeth to tug on her lower lip. "Josh, listen to me!" She laughed. "Okay." He cupped her breast. "Josh." She bit his lip. "I—" He kissed her deeply, but she pulled back. "I want—" He slid his mouth over her throat. "I want you—" He pulled her shirt up, exposing her breasts. "I want you make me—" He stopped short and grabbed her by the shoulders. "Don't say it, Jess,

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Rie McGaha don't even think it!" "You don't even know what I'm going to say!" "Yes, I do, and don't ask me to do it. I won't." "What do you think I was going to say?" She challenged him. "I won't make you what I am." She lowered her head, slid off his lap onto the grass beside him, and then blew out a breath. "Why not?" "Because I love you too much. Because I wouldn't do this to anyone. Because I don't want to be this," he said, gesturing with one hand, and then raking his fingers through his hair. "It's because I love you that I want you to do it. I want to be with you forever. If you don't make me like you are, do you understand that you'll watch me grow old, get sick, die?" He shook his head. "Dammit, Jess, please don't do this, baby. Please don't ask me to do this!" Jess looked at him, saw the pain in his eyes, and died a little inside to know she was the cause. But it couldn't be helped, and she was about to make him furious. She took a deep breath, and gathered her resolve. She was more determined to spend eternity with him, under any circumstance, than he was to make sure she didn't. "Come here," she said, and pulled him down on top of her. She kissed him with all the passion she held within her. He didn't hesitate, just as she’d known he wouldn’t. She’d known him too long and she knew just how to get him where she wanted him. She knew just as well that he might never forgive her for what she was about to do, but that was a risk she was willing to take. Their tongues mated as their hands roamed over each other's bodies, pulling at clothes, tossing them carelessly aside. He slid on top of her, tried to enter her, but she stopped him. "Not yet," she said breathlessly.

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Blood Line He rolled, bringing her on top of him, and taking her breast in his mouth. He slid his hands up and down her back, squeezed her ass, moved his mouth up her neck, and sucked her skin where her shoulder curved. She held her breath, waited, but he didn't bite her. Clenching her teeth, she turned around so that her mouth was at his cock, and his mouth at her pussy. She drew him into her mouth, as deep into her throat as she could take him, and felt his mouth cover her. He sucked her clit, flicked it with his tongue. She was using him, and not just his body. She'd never used sex against him before, but she knew there was no other choice this time. She refused to go through life knowing that she would die, and that he would live on throughout eternity without her, unable to take another mate, unable to find happiness. The idea was more than she could bear. He would be angry, she knew, but he would get over it because he loved her. She hoped. She drove him higher, ruthlessly sucking him from base to tip. The grip he had on her thighs tightened, his fingers dug into the soft flesh, and she felt his body go ridged. She stopped. He growled low in his throat, and when she felt his body ease a little, she went down on him again, pulling him deep into her throat, sucking faster and faster until she'd nearly pushed him over the edge. But before he went, she stopped again. He swore loudly. She caressed him, kissed his inner thigh, stroked his balls. Blew a cool breath over his heated, swollen cock then swallowed him whole. Again and again, she ruthlessly drove him to the edge of madness, each time pulling back before he came in her mouth. "You're killing me!" he said breathlessly. Swallowing him one more time, she felt him spiraling upward, and knew he couldn’t hang on much longer. Releasing him, Jess slid off him and onto her hands and knees, and shouted, "Take me as the wolf!" Half out of his mind with need, his body a vibrating pool of desire, Josh didn't need further convincing. He made the change and then plunged into her

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Rie McGaha from behind. She screamed, but he held her by the shoulders, unable to control himself. Screaming his name as he ravaged her, Jessie lay pinned beneath him. His claws cut into her tender skin and the scent of blood—of human blood, of female human blood—filled his nostrils. The scent of her blood—he’d been told it was intoxicating, he’d been told it was near irresistible, and now he knew why some of his kind went past the edge of reason. Why they took the entire human and why they were unable to stop. The scent curled through his nostrils, into his head, into his blood, into his senses. He knew what she was doing; he knew it even as she screamed when the orgasm slammed into her. She'd done it on purpose, he knew in his all-toohuman mind that she had, but the wolf was in charge and the madness she’d ignited within him was beyond his ability to control. Her teasing had sent him too far past reason. He felt as if he was in the midst of an out-of-body experience, and no matter how his mind tried to fight what his body was doing, he had no control over the wolf. The heat settled deep inside him, coiling around his balls like a snake, squeezing his testicles, and the only thing he wanted was to taste her blood. He could smell it; he could hear it speeding through her veins. Rich, intoxicating, like a drug he’d never imagined, and he sank his teeth into the side of her neck as he came inside her. He fell onto the ground beside her as she screamed out in pain. Clutching his chest, he forced himself to change back to the sanity of his human self, though the wolf wanted more as it licked Jessie’s blood from its lips. Josh struggled to raise himself to his knees, and examine the damage he'd wrought. Blood trickled from the cuts he’d left on her, while bruises in the shape of his paws were already showing on her white skin. He looked at her, overwhelmed with horror, and rage rose within him. The skin on her back had numerous cuts from the wolf’s claws. There were bruises on her shoulders, on her arms, and around her neck. Bruises covered her chest and breasts. Blood

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Blood Line covered her thighs, and he stared with wide eyes trying to think, trying to remember what the wolf had done. God, he'd ripped her open when he entered her. His cock was so big when he was the wolf, yet he had no way of controlling himself. He didn't know how he could have let her drive him to that point of madness. He could have easily killed her. "Dammit! Dammit! Dammit, Jessie," he shouted at her. Getting to his feet, he staggered around her. "Oh, God, Jess, what have I done? What did you do? Damn you, Jess, how could you? How could you do this to us?" He dropped to his knees and picked her up, and wrapped his arms around her. He pulled her hand away from the bite on her neck. Blood flowed from the deep gash, but Josh knew there was nothing he could do. He leaned back and the scream that ripped from his throat sounded as if it came from the darkest side of hell. Jessie opened her eyes, and a tear slipped down her face. "I'm sorry, but . . . ." Before she could finish the sentence, her body spasmed as the full moon began to rise. Josh felt himself change, but continued to hold her gently. Her body jerked in his hands. He was confused. When he'd been bitten, he'd only gotten sick, and had to be hospitalized. It was nearly a full month before he found out what had happened to him. But Jess was changing as he held her. He watched in amazement as her hands elongated slightly, claws replaced fingernails, muscles developed and bulged. Her fur glistened in the moonlight, a darker blonde than her human hair, and her eyes glowed gold in the pale light. She stood, stretched, looked at her limbs, amazement showing in her eyes. She tried to talk, but the sound came out as a howl. Moving away from him, trying out the new limbs, the longer body, the increased height and mass, she walked across the pasture, and then stopped and turned to look back at him. He saw the challenge in her eyes as she dropped to all fours and began to run. Josh watched her for a moment, then took off after her, caught her, and

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Rie McGaha stayed with her. They ran for miles before she stopped, but he understood what she was going through—the heightened senses, the sounds, the colors, and the scents. She was delighted, amazed, astounded. She threw herself at him, wrapped herself around him, and wrestled him to the ground. They rolled together on the soft grass, thrashing, clawing, and biting. And he fucked her again. Wolf style. He bit her on the back of the neck, held her firmly in his teeth and slammed his huge cock into her over and over. She welcomed him, encouraged him, and howled her release when she climaxed. Then she broke free of him and raced off. He took the chase and she ran through trees, dodged behind a boulder, and when he came around it, she leaped over it. He followed and she dodged another tree, dove under thick brush that he leaped over and then caught her on the other side. They snarled, growled, and rolled around in a free-for-all that seemed more like mortal combat than a mating ritual, but that's exactly what it was. Wrapping his arms around her from behind, he sank his teeth into her once again, and rammed himself roughly into her. When they finished, they raced off again. Josh caught the scent of deer and waved for her to follow him. Chasing the frightened buck, he showed off his hunting prowess, easily catching the deer, and then releasing it so she could try out her new skills. She, too, caught the deer easily and without hesitation, sank her teeth into the animal's throat. Josh watched in quiet admiration. His Jessie was no sissy girl, in neither wolf nor human form. She broke the animal's neck and began tearing off great hunks of meat, as if she hadn't eaten in days. And Josh was right beside her. They spent the night running through the woods, playing games, making love, and when the moon began to set, he led her back to the spot where she had first seduced him. The change came and they were human, naked as the day they were born. The night had slipped away too quickly, and Jessie was unusually

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Blood Line quiet. He took her hand, kissed it, pulled her down to the ground. "We have to talk, darlin'," he told her. "I was afraid of that," she said and snuggled against him. "I only did what I did because I love you so much." "I know that." He stroked her hair. "But it doesn't make it right. You made a decision without me, in spite of me, Jess. You didn't have the right to manipulate me, or to use sex to get your way. I had my reasons for not wanting it to be this way, and now you've taken the decision out of my hands. I'm supposed to be able to take care of you, to protect you, and I can't protect you when you take things into your own hands without even talking to me first. This is a partnership, Jess, remember? We make decisions together, we always have." "I'm sorry, Josh, really I am. I wasn't thinking in those terms. I was only thinking that you were going to spend eternity alone, because after I died, you wouldn't be able to have another mate. I would grow old right before your eyes, you'd have to watch me die, and I know you, Josh, I know how much you love me. You'd be like Ganda, spending hundreds, thousands, of years trying to grow old and die and not quite succeeding. What was I supposed to do?" "You were supposed to trust me," he said sadly, looking into her eyes. She looked away, but he turned her to face him and kissed her gently. When she looked at him, she asked, "Do you forgive me?" "Not yet . . . but I will." He smiled gently. "I know." She kissed him, but not before he caught sight of her smile. "Bitch," he said, softening his statement with a grin. "I know." She smiled and kissed him again. As she pulled back, something shiny on the ground caught Josh's eye and he bent down for a better look. "Damn, Jess," he said, scooping up the little scrap of gold. "Your ring." Jessie glanced at her wedding finger and gasped. "Oh, Josh! It must have

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Rie McGaha broken when I changed." Josh slipped the ring into his discarded pants pocket. "It's okay. I'll have it repaired and we'll buy a chain for you so you can wear it around your neck from now on." They sat in silence as night changed to day and the sun began to peek over the eastern horizon. Holding her close, he nuzzled her hair, kissed her smooth, warm lips. Jessie rubbed her hands over his legs, her cool fingertips sliding over his muscles. "God, I love you," she said, and pulled his mouth to hers. They made love again, taking their time, letting themselves drink from one another in long, lazy pulls. When they'd satisfied themselves, and each other, they dressed and walked hand-in-hand back to the house. "What did you think?" Josh asked. "I thought it was wonderful, indescribable. I was elated." He grinned and gave her hand a light squeeze. "I thought so. Just wanted to double-check." "Can we do it again?" "Which part?" He raised a brow. She giggled. "All of it!" They walked in the house to find Terri cooking breakfast. "Did you two spend the night outside?" "We did," Jess said, grinning from ear-to-ear. Terri shook her head. "I don't understand you two. Why on earth you'd want to sleep outside is beyond me." "Well, we didn't exactly sleep," Josh said with a mischievous grin as he poured coffee and Jess elbowed his ribs. "Spare me the details." Terri rolled her eyes as she set a platter of pancakes and sausage on the table, then brought the butter dish and syrup, pulled out a

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Blood Line chair and sat. "Let's just eat." Chapter Ten Josh spent the next few days working on the special bullets he’d been making. There were five thousand rounds in all that needed to be made and it was slow going, but there was no one else he could trust to help him. By himself, he'd only be able to complete five, or maybe even eight hundred a day if he worked until late evening, and he felt a sense of urgency. He didn't know how much time he had before the werewolves would find him. And they would eventually find him. He employed Jessie's help setting the bullets in the casings and crimping them together. It saved him some time; he just prayed it would be enough. But having Jessie so close caused a whole other problem. As a wolf, she was even more distracting than before. Her appetite for sex was inexhaustible; she was even more insatiable than he was. And her love of the wolf was staggering. Where he had barely accepted what had happened to him, she embraced her fate. Each night of the full moon had been a wonder to him; seeing the special abilities of being wolf through her eyes had given him a new appreciation for it, and for her. Everything in her was bright and new, enticing and desirable, exotic and erotic. They couldn't get enough of each other. But getting the rest of the bullets ready was imperative and he'd extracted a promise from her that she would try to control herself and help him get them finished as quickly as possible. In return, he promised he would be completely and totally available to her from then on. She'd looked at him with a mischievous glint in her eye and had agreed all too easily. He had the feeling he'd just made a deal with the devil. He’d taught her how to change to the wolf at will, and he was planning to teach her to shoot a pistol. He’d need her to be armed and able to kill when the

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Rie McGaha werewolves found him. The effect the silver bullets would have on the werewolves now would be deadly. She wouldn't need to be able to hit them in the head—any body shot would work. Not knowing how many there were in the clan worried him, and he hoped the number of bullets they were making would be enough. The wolves he’d seen ran in a pack, and one pack seemed autonomous from another. Apparently, what affected one clan, did not necessarily affect the actions or attitudes of the others. At least, he hoped so. He didn't want to have to worry about another clan coming to take this one's place when this was finished. And more than anything, he wanted this finished so he and Jess could spend some time together and figure out just what they were going to do for the next several millennia. Maybe he'd start by taking her on vacation to an island somewhere. He could lay on the beach with her, get her drunk on those tropical drinks that come in coconut shells with little umbrellas on top. He wanted to dance with her on the sand, take her snorkeling, and wondered what the wolf could do in the ocean. His mind conjured all sorts of delightful water activities that perhaps both man and beast would enjoy. But first things first—he had to rid them of the werewolves once and for all. Jess interrupted his reverie. "Well?" He looked at her. "Well what?" "I was talking to you!" "Sorry, just lost in thought," he said with a shrug. "Worried about those bastards coming here?" "More worried about you, about keeping you safe, about getting these bullets ready before they get here. By the way, how long is your sister staying?" "I don't know," she said as she crimped another bullet. "She's taking her break-up with Tim harder than she lets on. Do you mind her being here?" "It's not that, Jess. You know I love your sister, but it's not safe for her to be here. I have you to think about as it is, and protecting your sister when she

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Blood Line doesn't even know what's going on just complicates matters." "We could tell her," Jess suggested hopefully. "Like hell we can! What would you say to her? By the way, big sister, Josh and I are werewolves and a whole clan of other killer werewolves is on its way here to murder us. Hope you enjoy the stay! Yeah, she’d handle that just fine!" “She might surprise you, you know.” He put his arm around her shoulders. "I just think she's better off not knowing. No, I think we’re better off with her not knowing." He kissed her temple. "You’re right, I know, but I can't make her leave. She's really messed up in the head right now. If I turn my back on her, I don't know what she'd do. I don’t like keeping any of this from her, but you know how she is. And there’s the chance, however slight, the other werewolves won’t find us and she’ll never have to know. I know she’s my older sister, but I’ve taken care of her ever since our parents died." Against his better judgment, Josh relented. "I suppose you're right, but you'll have to help watch out for her. And sooner or later, she's going to find out the truth, and then you're going to have to deal with it." She gave him a loud, smacking kiss on the lips. "I will." "How's the driver working out? I haven't even thought about him lately." "Oh, he's just fine. He picks up and delivers on time, doesn't complain about anything. He's single, so he doesn't care much about home time, just stops by to see his mama whenever he's through Okie City." She shrugged. "I've got no complaints about him." "Good, glad to hear it." "You miss the truck, babe?" "A little, but not so much that I'm regretting our decision." He shot her a quick grin. "Good, 'cause I don't think I want to drive anymore," she told him.

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Rie McGaha He raised a brow. "Really? Ever or just for now?" She shrugged. "I don't know yet, but I kind of like being home with you without the responsibilities we had with both of us driving and managing the truck. It's just easier this way." He let his fingers glide through her hair. "I know. I was thinking about a vacation when this is over. What do you think?" "Where did you have in mind?" "I was thinking the Bahamas or Bermuda or the Virgin Islands. I don't know . . . any island will work for me." "I'd love to," she said, giving him a hug. "We could get one of those trips where when you get to the first island you spend a few days and then get on a schooner and go island hopping for weeks at a time." "Sounds good to me. Whatever you want, baby. But for right now, we have to finish those bullets."

***** They worked steadily throughout the following week, spending each and every day making the bullets, packing them into plastic cases, which were then placed in wooden ammo boxes. They filled their nights with lovemaking, both as human and as wolf. They were very careful to make sure Terri didn't suspect anything, and Jessie was careful to spend enough time with her sister that she didn't feel she'd worn out her welcome, or was unwanted in the house. One day, Josh suggested Jess and Terri go to the lake without him, since he had other things he wanted to do. He watched them leave, and then went to his workshop and retrieved the .45 pistol he'd taken from the rancher in the mountains. Laying it on the counter, he took it apart, cleaned and oiled it, checked that the magazine was full, then set it aside. His father had left him a pair of .45 automatic pistols that he now cleaned and loaded with full magazines,

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Blood Line as well. Then he loaded the extra magazines that went with them, but something told him none of this would be enough. The rounds would be gone in no time and reloading wouldn't be possible during a firefight. There was a waiting period and lots of paperwork involved when buying a new pistol, but additional magazines didn't require a waiting period. After stashing the weapons out of sight, he drove into town. There were three gun shops close by, and he visited them all, buying up every magazine available. He came away with sixty-five, in all, and prayed that would be enough. He returned before the girls made it back, and was still in his workshop when he heard Jessie's Jeep pull up to the house. Shielding his eyes with his hand as he walked outside in the bright sunshine, he grinned when his bikini-clad wife and sister-in-law walked to the rear of the vehicle and pulled out their floats and wet towels. Both of them looked up when he wolf-whistled at them, then Josh chuckled at his own joke. From this distance, he could barely discern which was his wife and which was his sister-in-law; so much alike were they in coloring and build. Terri was the oldest, but by less than twelve months. It wasn't a bad thing having two beautiful women to look at, but looks was where the similarities ended, for they were as different in personalities as two people could be. Josh would take his confidant, self-assured wife over her narcissistic, insecure sister any day. He walked over to greet them, and caught his wife in his arms and kissed her. "If you don't mind," he said, speaking to Terri, "I need my wife for a few minutes." Terri shook her head. "Don't you ever get enough?" "Not on your life!" Jessie shot back, laughing as Josh led her to the shed. "Did you two have fun?" "We did, but I missed you," she said and twined her arms around him, her

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Rie McGaha mouth a breath away from his. "Did you now?" He kissed her. "You didn't use the sunscreen, either; look at your shoulders." He touched the reddened skin gently. "I did use some, but it must've washed off in the water." She shrugged. "Now, just what did you have in mind bringing me in here? What have you been up to today?" "I want you to look at this stuff," he said as he reached for the pistols and additional magazines, and set them on the counter in front of her. "I had to run into town and buy magazines. That gives us seventy-three magazines, five hundred and eleven rounds ready to go. You'll have one pistol and I'll have two. I want you to practice with an empty gun and magazines, releasing the magazine and reloading until you can do it smoothly." He made sure the pistol didn't have a round in the chamber and that the magazine it held was empty, then slid the magazine back into the gun. Holding the gun in his right hand, he pulled the slide back with his left, and the slide locked in place. He flicked the slide release with his thumb, watched it close, let the magazine fall and slid the new one into it before the first one hit the floor. He picked up the magazine off the floor and handed it over to Jessie. "That's just for you to practice releasing the empty magazine and putting another one in it. Go ahead and try it a few times." Jessie fumbled her way through the process the first few times, and when Josh noticed her growing frustration, he took the gun from her hand. "Let me show you again. Watch closely," he said. He went through it slower this time, and when he was done, he handed her the gun. "Try it again." This time, she did it flawlessly, and Josh felt a sense of pride in her accomplishment. "Okay," he told her, "let's take a walk. We'll do a little target practice and you can also practice dropping the mag and putting the loaded one in."

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Blood Line "Let me change first. I'm standing here in a bikini." He grinned. "I like you standing here in a bikini." He reached for her, but her hands came up, and she pushed against his chest. "Stop right there, bud, I have a pound of sand up my butt, so back off!" He laughed and stepped back. "All right, go change your clothes and I'll meet you behind the barn." He watched her walk away, admiring her tight little ass in her tiny bikini. I could look at that view forever, he thought. I can look at that view forever. With a grin, he turned away to pull a box of ammo from the cupboard. He took the guns and ammo out to the barn, set up a paper target against the large, round bales of hay, and popped off a few rounds while he waited for Jessie to return. "I'm back," Jessie whispered, coming up behind him and wrapping her hands around his waist. Her warm breath tickled his neck. "So I see." He turned around to drop a kiss on her tiny, upturned nose. He held up the box of bullets. "These are two hundred and ten grain hardball ammo." She gave him a blank look. "Military issue," he added. "Watch. He showed her how to load one magazine, and then let her load the other one. Pulling the slide back, he dropped a round in, hit the slide release to chamber the single round, set the safety, and then inserted a full magazine. "Now it's cocked and locked. You got eight shots, seven in the mag and one up the spout. The safety's set." He turned the gun on its side, showed her the safety. You just push this down with your thumb and it's ready to fire. Do me a favor and grab yourself a pair of earplugs off the bench over there." Jessie did as he'd instructed, and when she returned, Josh smiled. "Ready?" At her nod, he aimed the pistol, gripping it with two hands. "I want you to hold it just like this," he told her. "It’s going to kick, but not much, and it'll be loud, but don't be afraid. Keep your right elbow locked, your legs braced. The

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Rie McGaha silver bullets won't kick as much as these will since they have less of a charge, but they'll still have pretty good recoil. Without the earplugs, you'd think you were deaf after a few shots . . . that's why we're using ear protection today. It's a semi-automatic so you just have to keep pulling the trigger and it'll keep firing. And keep both your eyes open." He aimed the gun at the target and pulled the trigger eight times in rapid succession. After he pulled the trigger the final time the slide locked back, he hit the mag release, slammed the loaded magazine into the gun, hit the slide release, and chambered another round. "Did you see how I did that? It's ready to go again." He hit the magazine release, dropped the magazine, drew the slide back, ejected the live round, and caught it mid-air with his left hand. He handed her the pistol, put the round back in the magazine and handed that to her, as well. "Now, do you remember what I told you?" She nodded. "Good. Show me." Jessie pulled the slide back, dropped a round in, hit the slide release and chambered the round. She inserted the full magazine, grasped the grip with both hands and pulled the trigger eight times. When the slide locked back, she hit the slide release, slammed the loaded magazine into the gun and hit the slide release again. She caught the falling magazine with the toe of her boot as she pulled the trigger rapidly seven times. Then she kicked her toe up, flipping the empty magazine into the air and caught it in her left hand as she also caught the one just released from the gun. Josh suppressed a grin. "You forgot to put the safety on," he said dryly. "I didn't forget," she said with a toss of her hair, and handed him the empty magazines. They practiced until the box of ammo was gone, then walked back to the workshop. "We need to get these magazines loaded," he told her and pulled the box of empty magazines off the shelf. He set the wooden box of silver bullets on the

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Blood Line bench, and they began loading the magazines. "How many mags do you think you can carry with you?" She shrugged. "I don't know." She looked down and said, "Two in each hip pocket, three or four in the front of my pants?" "Let's see." She put the mags in her hip pockets, stuck the others in the front waistband. "Four in the front," she said. "Okay, I can carry maybe six or seven, the rest we'll set around in different places for easy access. Just remember where they are because once all hell breaks loose, there won't be time to try to reload." "Are you sure they'll come?" Taking a deep breath, he cupped her face in his hands, and said, "I'm sure. I don't know when, but they'll come. They found me in Louisiana; they'll find me here and I don't expect it to be much longer before they do. Just remember that you can only shoot when you're human. If you turn, you won't be able to handle the gun, but you'll be better matched for hand to hand combat, or to run if you have to.” He released her and turned to reach up into another cabinet. He pulled out a large, leather bag with a long strap, much like the one Ganda had given him. "I made this for you." He put it over her shoulder, showed her how to carry it. "Keep this on you, or within easy reach, in case you have to turn, so you'll have access to all your weapons." She ran her fingers over the smooth exterior then asked, "What other weapons will I have, besides the gun?" He grinned. "Glad you asked." He took the bag from her and dumped its contents out on the counter. "This is called a leaf-blade Gurka." He held up a knife. "The design originated in Nepal." The eighteen-inch blade was about three inches wide at its widest, and the last ten inches curved toward the floor. The handle was made of bone and the sheath was balsa wood covered with leather.

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Rie McGaha "Excellent for lopping off heads if you have to get that close to them. There are two of them here—one for each hand. Don't be afraid to use them. Don't ever try to fight one of those animals without a weapon." Jessie fingered the weapons and nodded. "You have to take the heads completely off to kill them, so don't be acting like a girl. There will be a lot of blood, but just go for it. These blades are razorsharp, so you shouldn't have any trouble taking off hands, arms, or heads." She punched him in the shoulder and snorted. "Act like a girl?” He grinned and picked up the other knife. "Hold them like this." Placing one in her right hand with the blade out in front, the sharp edge facing down, he placed the other one in her left hand, the blade lying against her forearm, the sharp edge facing outward. "They might feel a little heavy right now, but they'll feel a lot lighter when you've changed into the wolf. Now be very careful, they're sharp and I don't want you lopping off my head right here!" Standing beside her with the knife Ganda had given him in one hand, and a Bowie knife in the other, he held them the same way Jessie held the Gurkas. "Follow me with this. I'm going to show you how to defend yourself with those knives. Use your left hand to block, like this." He stepped forward with his left leg, raising his left arm, elbow bent, so that the sharp edge of the blade was facing forward. "This is how you’ll block your opponent's blade, if he has one. I don't know that they will be using weapons; the two I fought in the swamps didn't have any, but the ones in the mountains were all armed. We'll have to assume the worst-case scenario. They'll try to lop off our heads since that's the only way they know of to kill us. "Now, keep your right arm close to your body, ready to step into him. Block with the left, then deflect his blade and step into him with your right foot, and put the blade as deep inside his chest as you can. Then step left again and swing your right arm back around and take off his head." He demonstrated the moves over again, sliding them all together in one smooth movement. "Now you

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Blood Line try it." She stepped forward with her left leg, raising her left arm to block the imaginary blow, then stepped forward with the right leg and thrust the blade into an unseen enemy. She then stepped left again and swung the knife right. "Like that?" She looked back at him. He nodded. "That's good; now do it again and put them all together in one movement." She repeated her previous movements, a little quicker this time. "Again," he told her. Jessie went through the maneuvers over and over again. Each time, Josh only nodded and then made her do it again. They continued this way for the next half hour. "Okay, now you're going to defend yourself against me," he told her. "No!" She shook her head. "I might cut you!" He laughed. "No you won't. We're going to use sticks instead of knives." "Good, these things really make me nervous. They're so sharp and I don't know what I'm doing." "It takes practice, but you're actually doing pretty good. My dad got me started in Kendo when I was only four or five. You just won’t have a lot of time to practice, so I’m going to teach you the basic moves." Handing her a pair of sticks, he also held one in each of his own hands. "Now, don't put my eye out, okay?" She made a face at him, and he grinned. They spent the next hour parrying with the sticks. Blocking, jabbing, blocking. Swinging the sticks at each other's necks pretending to lop off the other’s head. They were hot and sweaty, ready to take a break, when they were interrupted by a knock on the door. "You two decent?" Terri pushed the door open cautiously before looking inside. "We're decent." Jess laughed. "Come on in."

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Rie McGaha Josh slid the knives into the leather bag on the counter and leaned against it. "What are you doing in here?" Terri looked at the sticks in Jessie's hand. Jess followed her gaze. "Trying to poke his eyes out,” she said with a grin, casting a sideways look at Josh. Terri shook her head. "You two are so weird! But I fixed supper, thought you probably forgot the time." Josh glanced at his wristwatch. "We sure did. Sorry, just lost track." "No problem, I enjoy cooking." Terri put her arm around her sister. "Come on, let's eat." Josh followed behind the two women as they walked to the house. He could smell food before they reached the back door. He sniffed the air. "Smells good. Chicken?" "Yeah, I made chicken Marsala and pasta. There's an antipasto plate, salad with olives and fresh Parmesan cheese, baked garlic and warm olive oil for the bread. I also made Tiramisu for dessert. I know it's Jessie's favorite." Jess and Josh looked at one another and then at Terri. Jessie grinned. "I think we're in love."

Chapter Eleven Josh slid his hand over Jessie's mouth to keep her from making any noise as he shook her awake. "Shh," he hissed at her. "We've got to get up, darlin', they're here!" When he was certain she was fully awake and understood what was going on, Josh released her. They both climbed out of bed and began to dress. Jess tugged on her jeans, pulled a shirt over her head and slipped her feet into her boots while Josh did the same. Taking her by the hand, he dragged her out the back door.

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Blood Line "I’ve got a bon fire ready to go, so light it and then get your sister out here and make her sit by the it. As long as they’ve got us to worry about, she’ll be safe and the fire will give us light to see by, so there won’t be any sneak attacks. I'll get the weapons and your bag and meet both of you out here." He hurried off toward the workshop as Jess ran to the pile of logs. She struck a match, stuck it to the base on one side and then hurried around the pyre, dropping burning matches as she went. The fire roared to life as she went back to the house to wake Terri. Hearing a noise as she approached the back porch, she stopped and listened. There it was again. A low growl came from around the corner of the house. Taking two steps back, she turned on her heel and sprinted to the shed. She burst through the door. "Josh! They're right outside the house and Terri's still inside!" "Okay, okay, stay calm. Take this," he said as he handed her one of the .45 automatic pistols. He stuck a gun in his belt and started loading magazines into his pockets. He handed five loaded magazines to Jessie. "Here, and don't forget your leather bag." "What about Terri? We can't leave her in there!" "We're not." He flipped the light switch and they were engulfed in darkness. "Stay close. If it moves, shoot it and don't hesitate. When we get to the house, go inside and get your sister. I'll watch the door and keep them back." They went quietly out of the shed, eyes wide in the darkness, ears perked for any sound. It was about fifty yards from the shed to the house, but the distance seemed more like a mile as they crossed the lawn. Hearing a low growl as they neared the house, Josh fired. He missed, but the flash from the shot gave Jess enough light to know where to aim the next shot. She fired off a round, and the werewolf burst into flames. "Run!" Josh said and they both sprinted the rest of the distance to the back porch. "Hurry up. That shot should've woken her, so be careful you don't shoot

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Rie McGaha her." Jessie slipped through the back door, not bothering with lights. "Terri!" She whispered as loudly as she dared. No answer. Going through the kitchen to the stairwell, she looked up, aiming the pistol in front of her. After making sure all was clear, she took the stairs one slow step at a time until she reached the landing. Still no Terri. Suddenly, she heard the sound of shooting from outside. God. Josh! She had to find Terri and get back outside so she could help. Quietly and quickly, she moved into Terri's room, but couldn't see anything in the pitch-black darkness. At the bed, she swiped her hand over the mattress, only to find it empty. Jessie's heart started pounding even harder than it was before. Her sister wasn't in her bed where she belonged. “Don’t panic, Jessie,” she whispered to herself. Leaving Terri’s room, she checked the other spare bedroom. Still no Terri. "Terri!" Jess no longer bothered whispering. Panic began to rise, and she had to fight for calm. She went into the guest bathroom. "Terri, are you in here?" "Jess?" The shaky voice came from the linen closet. "Yes," she said. "Terri, you have to come outside with me now." Terri came out of the closet on her hands and knees and Jess gave her a hand to her feet. "God, Jess, what's going on? I heard growling, and then I heard gunshots. It scared me to death!" "I know. I just can't explain right now, but staying in the house isn't safe for you. Follow me. Stay close." "Jess, where are we going?" "I have to get you outside by the fire where it's safe. Be very quiet." "Tell me what's going on! You're scaring me!" "I'm sorry." Jess took her sister's hand. "There's no time to explain right now. Just be quiet and follow me." She didn't let go of Terri's hand as she led her quickly down the stairs. As

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Blood Line they reached the bottom, the sound of gunshots came from outside again. Terri tried to tug free of Jessie's hand, but Jess only tightened her grip. "You have to stay with me!" Jess said, holding the pistol in a ready position as they continued to the back door. When they reached the porch, Jess eased the door open, holding it for Terri, and then shut it silently behind them. She heard another shot, but didn't see Josh anywhere close by. The bonfire burned brightly on the other side of the yard. "We're going to run across the yard to that fire," Jess told Terri. "You go first and I'll be right behind you." "I can't do it," Terri cried. "You have to! I can't protect you from here. Now go, dammit!" She pushed Terri out in front of her, peering into the darkness, listening for any sounds of werewolves. "Run!" Terri took off running with Jessie close behind her. When they reached the bonfire, Jessie made Terri sit on the ground as near to the flames as she could get. Jess spun when she heard a sound behind her and fired. The werewolf erupted in a flash of white, hot flame. "What the hell was that?" Terri shrieked. "Shh." Jess shushed her as much to allow herself to calm down as to avoid answering the question. Walking around the fire with her back to it, straining to hear any sounds that would indicate another werewolf, she came back around to where Terri sat and kneeled down beside her. "Don't cry, Terri. I don't even know how to begin with this," she said, then whipped her head around and fired into the darkness. Another eruption of white fire shot into the air. "Jess, you need to tell me what's going on here. Right now, dammit!" Terri voice rose on a hysterical note. "Those are werewolves, Terri, and they want Josh and me. Mostly Josh, because he killed one of them, but they'll kill the two of us, as well." She kept one ear out for any sounds behind them, and her gaze swept the darkness as she

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Rie McGaha spoke. Terri was looking at her in disbelief and horror. "Werewolves," she said at length. "You expect me to believe those are werewolves?" "No, I don't expect you to believe it, but I do expect you to sit right here with me so one of the bastards doesn't rip your head off!" Terri stood and Jessie got to her feet. Her sister's mouth was open, and she looked as if she were about to say something, when she froze. Wide-eyed, she stared at a spot just over Jessie's right shoulder. Jessie swallowed hard as a low growl sounded from behind her. Jessie spun on her heels, the pistol held in both hands the way Josh had showed her, and she fired twice. The werewolf exploded before their eyes, sending ash floating on the air. Jess turned back to face her sister. Terri had obviously seen the beast because her mouth was still hanging open and she was still looking up into the blackness where the fireball had exploded. "Terri? Terri." Jess put her hand on her sister's shoulder. "Sit down, sweetie, it's all right." Terri sat, her mouth still open and her eyes still heavenward. Jess knelt down in front of her. "It's all right, Terri. The bullets I have will kill them and I won't let them hurt you. I promise." Terri grabbed Jessie's arm. "Wh-what . . . ?" "Take a deep breath and try to calm down." Jessie patted Terri's head and looked over her shoulder. "I can't deal with this! I don't understand! I've got to get out of here!" "I know, I know," Jess said, "but you can't go anywhere just yet. You have to stay—" She fired again and watched the fireball shoot into the air. "You have to stay here. If you leave this spot, I can't protect you. They will kill you, Terri, so stay right here! Do you understand?" Terri nodded. Jess stood and walked slowly around the fire, shooting in whatever

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Blood Line direction she heard growling. She hated wasting bullets when her shots didn’t kill one of the beasts, but she loved it when she fired and saw the fireball shoot into the air and heard the last screams the werewolves made before they were incinerated. But where in the hell was Josh? She hadn't heard a shot from him in some time. She looked toward the house and saw her leather bag, still sitting on the porch where she'd left it when she'd gone inside to get Terri. She swore under her breath, chastising herself for not having put it on like Josh had told her to. "Terri, I have to run back over to the porch and get something," she said. "Don't move!" Terri grabbed her arm. "No! You can't leave me here!" "I'm just running over to the porch and right back. You'll be able to see me the whole time." "No, don't leave me, Jess. Please don't leave me!" "Okay, okay. I'll stay right here." Jess chewed her bottom lip. She had to have that bag so she could get to her knives, just in case. Walking around the fire again, she killed two more werewolves. She paused next to Terri, and then made a decision. She'd make the short run to the porch and back without saying anything. She gave her sister one last, apologetic look, cocked the pistol and sprinted toward the porch. "Jess!" Terri screamed. Jess reached the porch, grabbed the bag, put her right hand through the strap, and as she ducked it over her head, she felt a blow to her back as the storm door flew open behind her. Glass shattered and flew into the air, flying around Jessie's head. The impact blew her off the porch. She landed face-first on the ground, and the gun flew out of her hand. Terri's terrified scream filled the air. A claw raked across Jessie's back and she closed her eyes as she changed into the wolf. A second later, Jess came up on her hands, kicked her leg out backward

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Rie McGaha and caught the werewolf in the gut, sending him flying back onto the porch. She spun and leaped, landed on top of the beast, while pulling a Gurka from the bag. Holding the animal’s hair, she stretched the head to one side, made one swipe with the large knife, and severed the animal’s head. Flinging the head over her shoulder just before it burst into flames, she jumped back as the body began to spark, sizzle, and shot flames into the air. Turning toward Terri, Jessie noted the stark look of terror on her sister's face. Terri had, apparently, seen everything, but Jessie didn't have time to worry about it. She made the change back to her human form, found her gun and the magazines that had fallen on the ground. Grabbing the leather bag, she ran back to the fire and yanked out the change of clothes she'd stashed in there the day before. Hurriedly, she dressed, and then, after a quick look around to make sure they weren't in any imminent danger, she turned her attention to her sister. "Terri?" Jessie said softly. Terri took a step back with each step Jessie took forward. Jess stopped. "Terri, it's me. Don't freak out, okay?" "Stay away from me," Terri said. "Terri, don't do this now. We've got a bigger problem to deal with. You have to stay calm." "No, you just get away from me!" "Terri, you're being ridiculous, dammit! And you're pissing me off! Now just sit down and listen to me." "I don't know you! You are not my sister! Get away from me!" She turned suddenly and ran screaming into the night. "Dammit!" Jessie tore off her clothes as quickly as she'd dressed, in case she needed to change back to the wolf. A Gurka in each hand, she ran after her sister. "Terri!" She screamed into the night, then made the change into wolf, scanning the darkness with preternatural vision and listening with the acute hearing of the beast she'd become. She heard the heavy breathing and the heavy

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Blood Line footsteps of a human running for all they were worth. She followed the sound, sniffing the air until she caught her sister's scent. Then she took off on all fours with the Gurkas held securely in her paws, her knuckles pounding the ground. Suddenly, she caught the scent of another being, but it wasn’t human. It was another like her, and then she heard Terri's ear-splitting scream. Jessie's heart dropped as she plunged forward and came through the brush in time to see her sister's body flying through the air. With a howl of rage, Jessie leaped through the air, landing on the beast’s back, the Gurka's crossed in front of the animal's throat. She pushed off with her knees as the blades sliced scissor-like through the werewolf's neck. She didn't wait for the explosion of fire as the body and head ignited. Instead, she ran to where her sister lay, crumpled and bleeding on the ground. Jessie, now in human form, felt for a pulse, leaned down to listen and make sure Terri was still breathing. Terri's breath was shallow, and her heartbeat faint, but at least she was alive. Jessie gently turned her over, made the change back to wolf, and then lifted her into her arms. As quickly as she could, without causing further injuries, Jessie ran back to the fire. She dropped the Gurka's to the ground, and then carefully laid Terri down. After making the change back to human, she hastily dressed and then picked up the pistol, sliding it into the back band of her cut-offs. "Terri? Can you hear me?" No response. Jessie checked Terri's body, felt her arms and legs. It felt as if she had a broken arm and a broken leg, and like one shoulder might be dislocated. A few of her ribs appeared to be broken, as well. As she examined her sister's broken body, Jessie spoke softly to her, telling her over and over that everything would be all right, even though Jessie didn't believe it. Terri had a bite wound on her neck and shoulder, and claw marks across her back. Those wounds would result in only one thing. Terri would become one of them.

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Rie McGaha "Jess?" Jessie snapped her head up as Josh hurried to her side. "Oh, God, Jess!" He knelt beside her. "Josh! I was so worried about you!" "I'm fine." He stroked her hair, but his gaze fell on Terri. "Is she alive?" "Barely," she said as tears fell freely down her cheeks. "She's been bitten, Josh. Does that mean what I think it means?" "She'll turn into one of us. Yes. I think so." He nodded. He turned Jessie's face to his. "I have to ask you, Jess, I'm sorry. Is this what you want for her?" Jess held his gaze and then looked back at her sister. "What choice do I have? I can't let her die." Josh nodded. "I tried to lead them away from here, Jess. I don't know how many of them I killed. I'm sorry I didn't get them away in time." They leaned together, their foreheads meeting. Terri stirred. "Terri?" Jess cupped her face with her hands. "Terri, are you awake?" Terri's eyes fluttered open and she nodded. Jess exhaled heavily. "You're hurt, so don't try to move. You'll be all right, but I don't know how long it'll take before you heal. I just know you won't be able to move yet." "Water," Terri said hoarsely. Jess looked at Josh. He nodded and ran to the house, returning with a glass of water a few moments later. He helped Terri raise her head while Jess held the glass to her lips. "Don't feel good," Terri whispered. "I know, sweetie, I know." Jess rocked her until she was asleep again. Jessie looked at Josh. "She's not changing, Josh. I don't know what to do for her." Josh shrugged. "Remember how sick I was before I changed? Maybe it's different for everyone. Stay here with her for a minute. I want to take a quick

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Blood Line look around, just to make sure they're gone." He kissed her quickly. "Okay." Jess nodded. She held Terri, and continued talking to her, telling her everything would be all right. Josh returned a short time later. "I didn't see anything. I think we're okay for now. We can take her inside." Josh gently lifted Terri into his arms and carried her back inside the house. The night sky was sliding quickly toward morning and dawn was beginning to touch the horizon. "Josh, I'm really worried about her. Is there anything we can do?" "I don't know, Jess. When it happened to me, I was sick, just like she is. You're the one who turned in just a matter of minutes. I don't know what the difference is. I do know that the antibiotics they gave me at the hospital didn't make any difference. The results would've been the same even if I hadn't seen a doctor." "So we just let her lay here with her fever so high? I can't just sit here doing nothing!" "We have no choice, baby. Let's just try to figure this out, okay?" "Okay, okay." She turned around and walked across the room, tapping a fingernail to her teeth. "When you turned, it was on the next full moon after you killed the werewolf. A whole month later. When I turned, it was on a full moon as well, but the same full moon as when you bit me. Do you think it has to do with the fact that it was you who bit me that caused me to turn so quickly?" "I don't know." He shrugged and thought about it. "Wait a minute! When I was bitten, it wasn't under a full moon, but under the full moon as it was setting. When you were bitten, it was the night of the full moon, but it hadn't risen yet. Tonight isn't a full moon at all. Maybe the position of the moon, or the phases of it, have something to do with how long it takes to turn?" "When is the next full moon?" Josh walked over to the wall, ran his finger over the calendar. "Six more

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Rie McGaha days," he told her. "She's going to be like this for six more days? Oh, Josh, I can't bear it! We have to do something!" "I think we are doing everything we can. We just have to keep her comfortable. Her bones won’t mend until the wolf takes over. We just have to wait it out." He took her in his arms and held her. The sun was up and it had been a very long night. Chapter Twelve "Come on, Terri, I'm going to help you walk." Josh put his sister-in-law's arm around his shoulders and wrapped one of his arms around her waist. "Josh," she replied weakly, "just let me stay here." Jess held the door open while Josh half-dragged, half-carried Terri outside, her broken leg dragging behind her. Jessie wrapped her arm around her sister's waist, trying not to move Terri's broken arm that was now in a sling. She and Josh went very slowly across the yard to the barn. Terri had lain on the sofa in the den for nearly a week, drifting in and out of consciousness, her fever raging. Jess had remained at her side, placing cool cloths on her forehead and face, forcing sips of water into her mouth. Josh sat with her when Jess went to shower, and made food that he practically had to force Jessie to eat. It was evening now, and the full moon would be rising in just a few hours. They took Terri to the barn, spread a blanket on fresh hay and laid her down. Her body was bruised and her broken bones left her leg and arm swollen, and angled in odd directions. Because of that, Josh hadn’t tried to carry her, afraid of hurting her more. Jess sat beside her, brushed the hair back out of Terri's face and washed her with a cool cloth. Josh and Jess looked at each other. There was nothing left to do now but wait for moonrise.

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Blood Line "Hungry?" Josh asked. Jess shook her head. "Thirsty?" She shook her head again, and Josh began to pace. They hadn't seen hide or hair of another werewolf in a week, but that just made Josh more nervous. He knew there were more, and he knew he'd been wrong about their method of attack. He thought when they came, they'd all come at once, but they hadn't. When he'd run from them in Louisiana, he knew it wasn't the whole clan, but he thought when they came to his home it would be in force. The real problem was that he didn't know how many of them there really was, or if they were making new werewolves along the way. If that was the case, their numbers could literally be endless. He had wanted to take the women away from the house since the clan had found them there, but Terri was so ill, Jess wouldn't allow her to be moved. Besides, what difference would it make? The wolves would find them, eventually, and now that Jess and Terri were involved, Josh had no guarantee they'd be safe somewhere on their own. Now it was the night of the full moon and Josh was afraid the clan might come back. He knew Terri would probably freak out when the change took place and there wasn't much time to teach her the things she'd need to know. He scrubbed both hands over his face. Damn, life had really become complicated over the past few months. "Josh!" Jessie's shout brought him out of his thoughts and back to the task at hand. Terri lay writhing on the blanket, sweat pouring off her body. Josh came to his wife's side. "She's changing," he said calmly. "The moon's not rising yet!" Josh went to the door and looked into the sky. Darkness had yet to fall

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Rie McGaha completely, but on the horizon, he could see the outline of the full moon. "It's visible," he called back to her. Terri screamed and Jess heard her bones cracking. Josh came quickly to Jessie's side and held her as they watched. Terri's leg snapped and began to straighten; her arm cracked and flung itself out of the sling, straightening as it did. The bite wounds on her neck and shoulder began to fuse together. Josh and Jessie watched, amazed, as new skin rapidly covered the jagged wound until there was no trace of the bite. Her ribs moved beneath her skin as they mended themselves. The bruises on her body began to fade and then were gone altogether. Terri's eyes flew open as she sat upright and looked around. "Terri?" Jess said softly. "Jessie? Oh, God, Jessie!" Terri cried and the two women held each other tightly. "You have no idea what a horrible dream I've had! It seemed so real!" Jess pulled back from her sister and looked into her eyes. "How do you feel?" "Hungry and so thirsty!" She looked up at Josh then looked around her. "Why are we in the barn?" Jess looked to Josh for some help in explaining the situation. Josh cleared his throat. "Um, I'll get her something to eat," he said as he passed Jess the bottle of water and ran out of the barn. "Chicken!" Jess called after him. "I need to stand up, Jess, my legs hurt." Jess nodded and helped Terri to stand. "You were pretty sick, Terri. Are you sure you're feeling all right?" "Actually, I feel great. Just stiff and a little sore." She stretched her arms and twisted from side to side. "That was the worst night of my life! I felt like I was on fire most of the night. So I've been sick?" "Yes, but not just last night, Terri. You've been like that for the past six days," Jess told her.

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Blood Line Terri froze. "Six days? You're joking, right?" "No. You've been running a really high fever, and you've been delirious." "Wow, I had no idea so much time had passed. No wonder I'm so hungry!" "What do you remember?" "I don't know, really; it's all such a blur now. The last thing I remember was going to bed and being awakened by dogs growling and then there were gunshots. You came and got me, we went out by a bonfire and you were shooting into the dark. I thought there must have been coyotes or something getting too close to the house. Then I saw one attack you on the porch and I guess I must have fainted. That's when the weird dreams started. I swear I saw you turn into some kind of animal and I started running. Then this big, hairy animal caught me and it bit me! Suddenly, I was flying through the air and that's the last thing I remember." Josh returned from the house with a tray full of sandwiches, a bag full of Cokes hanging from his shoulder, and a bag of Oreos in his teeth. He set everything on the tack table and handed a sandwich to Terri. She had half of it eaten before he could pop the top off a Coke and hand it to her. She took two long swigs of Coke and then finished the sandwich. "Mmmm," she said as she swallowed the last bite. "Hand me another one of those. I can't believe how hungry I am!" Jess and Josh each took a sandwich and a Coke and began to eat. Jess cut her eyes from Terri to Josh, who raised a brow. Jess swallowed, cleared her throat and placed her Coke on the table. "Terri had a dream, Josh." "Did she?" "I did," Terri said through another bite of the sandwich, and then washed the food down with another Coke. Then she relayed the dream to Josh. "Isn't that weird?" she said when she finished the story.

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Rie McGaha Josh grinned and looked at Jess. "Weird," he agreed. "Jess, it's almost full dark." "Well, I guess we need to talk for a minute." "Yes, we do." Josh nodded, but instead of saying anything else, he shoved a large bite of sandwich into his mouth. Jess made a face at him then turned to her sister. "Um, Terri, that dream you had wasn't exactly a dream." Terri looked at her sister and laughed. "Of course it was! I didn't really see you turn into an animal, did I?" "Well, yes, you actually did." Terri laughed nervously, looking at Jess, obviously waiting for the punch line. She set the Coke can on the table and brushed the breadcrumbs from her hands. "That's impossible, Jess!" "Look," Josh said, "the moon is rising and we don't have much time." He took Terri by the shoulders and gave her the Reader's Digest version of events. Her eyes were big as saucers and her chin was on her chest by the time he finished. "So you see, we don't have much time as the moon is rising and the change will take place. For all three of us. You were bitten, so now you're one of us. It's the only thing that saved your life." Terri sat down on the barn floor, her butt sending up a puff of dust as she did. "I don't believe this. No, this is just too bizarre. It can't really be true!" Jess knelt in front of her, put a hand on her shoulder. "I know, I know. And we should have told you before it all happened. I’m so sorry we didn’t, but . . . ." Jess felt the force of the moon on her body, felt the wolf stretch inside of her. She had learned to bring the wolf on her own, but had only changed under the moon that first time when Josh had bitten her. This was her first full moon, as well. She stood and stepped back. Josh had already gone into a stall and

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Blood Line stripped out of his clothes, replacing them with a large, loose robe. He handed one to her. She took it, but gave it to Terri. "You better get out of your clothes if you don't want them ruined. Put the robe on, instead." Terri still couldn't mentally grasp what was happening. She clutched the robe to her chest and watched her sister and brother-in-law in horrified fascination. Jess wiggled out of her jeans and T-shirt, and then went to stand beside Josh. The two began to shimmer before Terri's eyes, and she blinked rapidly, attempting to clear her vision. And just as she was beginning to question her own sanity, she felt herself being pulled in every direction. She tried to fight it, but the pain in her stomach had her doubled over. Her legs grew longer, her arms stretched, her fingers were getting longer, and she could see fur growing on her skin. Her hands flew to her face as her jaw jutted forward and the shape of her head began to change. Feeling her mouth, she discovered that fangs had replaced her teeth. She tried to scream, but the only sound she could make was a low, plaintive howl. She looked around the barn and saw the beasts that had been her sister and brother-in-law. Jess came to her slowly and tilted her head toward the barn door, indicating for Terri to follow her outside. Trembling from head to tail, Terri left the barn with Josh and Jessie. When they reached the moonlit yard, she paused a moment, assessing her physical and mental faculties. Oddly enough, despite her fear, she felt a strength and confidence she'd never known in her life. She looked at the world with heightened senses, able to see and hear and smell things she'd never imagined. Jess and Josh walked beside her for a moment, and then, on all fours, they began to lope across the pasture. Terri followed. Slowly, at first, giving herself

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Rie McGaha time to adjust to her new limbs, her new body. But when Jess and Josh picked up the pace, she stayed with them. They ran through the night, leaping boulders, bounding over creeks and rivers. Terri followed sounds, followed scents, and Jess and Josh followed her, seemingly content to let her lead the way. She stopped to examine trees, blades of grass, rocks, everything she had taken for granted as a human, she now found so interesting as a wolf. She chased rabbits, catching them without effort. She pursued deer, examined armadillo, raccoons, and opossums. Everything was brand new in a brand new world, and as brilliant and glorious as if she had been blind and was seeing for the first time. And, she knew, in a way, she had been blind her entire life. Together, they roamed the countryside for most of the night. Just before the moon began to set, Josh went after a large buck. He captured the animal quickly, breaking its neck with one, swift snap of his massive jaw. Then, as Terri watched, he and Jessie began to feed. Strangely enough, the sight before her didn't turn her stomach, but rather, the scent of blood quickly became too much to resist and she joined in on the feast. When they had finished, leaving nothing of the deer but a few bones and antlers, they made the trip back to the barn. Once inside, Jess handed Terri the robe she'd given to her earlier. Josh slipped into his, and Terri followed his lead, managing to cover herself just before everything shifted and she changed back into human form. Terri sat down slowly, hugging the robe, with her arms wrapped tightly around her upraised knees. "Are you okay?” Jessie asked, dropping to sit beside her. "I don't know if I am or not." Terri sighed. "It's really just too much to accept, isn't it?" Jess nodded. "Yes, it is. I try not to think about it too much, because if I do,

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Blood Line sometimes I think I'll just scream. But I wanted it, I asked for it. You didn't.” Terri looked up, horrified. "You asked for it?" Her sister had asked to be this . . . this beast? She shook her head in disbelief. "I did. I asked Josh to make me what he was, but he refused, so I tricked him into doing it." "Why? Why on earth would you want this?" "Because I love him," Jess said simply. "I couldn't imagine him watching me grow old and die. I wanted to be with him no matter what. So when he refused me, for the same reasons, I might add, I tricked him." "Were you mad?" Terri looked to Josh. "For a little while," Josh told her, giving a little half-laugh. "But you know me, Terri . . . my bark is much worse than my bite." "Most of the time," Jessie said. Terri shook her head. How could they be so blasé about the whole thing? She released a sigh and got to her feet. "If you don't mind, I'm going inside. I want a shower and I think I need to be alone for a while." "Sure." Jess hugged her. "Get some sleep, you'll feel better for it.” Jessie watched her sister leave, noting the way she hugged the robe around her, how her head hung low. Terri's dejected attitude saddened Jessie, and she could only hope her sister would quickly adjust to her new circumstances. "Most of the time?" Josh asked, interrupting her thoughts. He moved up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Mmmm." Jess moaned softly and leaned her head back against his shoulder. Josh grasped her chin and pulled her back, exposing her neck. He nipped her earlobe and trailed his teeth down her neck to her shoulder. His hands moved over her breasts, down her stomach, and he pulled the tank top she wore up over her head. Turning toward him, Jessie spread her hands over his hard chest, enjoying the feel of the smooth skin, the light dusting of dark, crisp hair. He reached for

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Rie McGaha the zipper of her cut-offs and pushed them down over her hips to the floor. She stepped out of them and into Josh's arms. He kissed her long and slow. A soft meeting of lips, a slow mating of tongues. He ran his hands over her hair, letting it slide through his fingers like silk off a spool. Then he ran his hands down her back, over her ass and thighs. He drew his hands over her ribcage and down her stomach to the soft patch of downy hair at the “V” of her thighs. He slid his hand between her legs, urging her to part them for him. Running a finger along her slit until he found her wet entrance, he inserted two fingers into her pussy, while working her clitoris with his thumb. He trailed wet kisses from her mouth, over her throat and shoulder down to her breast. He sucked a nipple into his mouth, working it back and forth with his tongue as his fingers continued to slide in and out of her. His thumb moving relentlessly over her clit, and Jessie rocked her hips against his hands. Her head rolled back. She gripped his shoulders for balance as his hands and mouth assaulted her senses. Breathing heavily, she moved her hips faster and felt herself begin to slip over the edge. Her legs were shaking, her knees grew weak, and she called out his name as he sent her spiraling out of control. She collapsed, her legs unable to bear her weight. He caught her against him and brought her down with him on the blanket-covered hay. He kissed her eyes, rained more kisses across her cheeks and chin. He ran his tongue over her nipples and down her stomach while he massaged and kneaded the muscles of her inner thighs. When her heavy breathing returned to normal, he brushed his lips over hers, wetting them with his tongue. Jessie lifted her arms, wrapping them around his neck and pulling him to her, clamping her mouth on his. She took his tongue in her mouth and sucked it, while she raked her nails over his back, over his ass, squeezing those well-toned cheeks. She pushed him off her and rolled over on top of him. Straddling him, she

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Blood Line braced her palms on his chest and took the full length of his swollen cock inside of her. He gripped her hips, moving her back and forth on top of him. Sliding his hands over her belly, he rested them on her breasts. He rolled her nipples between his thumb and finger, squeezing them harder than necessary. She dug her nails into his flesh and slid one hand behind her to cup his balls. He bucked against her, harder and harder, and her juices coated his cock. Their gazes locked as she rode him, and he gripped her hips again and urged her on. "Faster, Jess," he said. "That's it, baby." He whispered her name over and over, and she shouted his name, her head thrown back, her hair brushing the tops of his thighs as she came. He found his own release, his hot cum shooting deep inside of her, a long, low growl escaping his throat. Pulling her down on top of him, he wrapped his arms around her, and held her there while they both panted for breath. He rolled, until they were both on their sides, lying face-to-face. He stroked her hair, stroked her face, and drew a line down her nose with one finger. "I love you," he whispered. She smiled, but didn't open her eyes. "Tell me again," she whispered back. "I love you, Jessie." He kissed her chin. "I love you with all my heart and soul. I'll never love another." She opened her eyes and looked into his. She kissed him softly. "I love you, too, Joshua. With all my heart, with all my soul, with all that I am or will ever be. I love you." They lay together, wrapped around one another, touching, stroking, and kissing. Eventually, they slept and late in the afternoon, they made love again. Not a passionate mating this time, but a slow, sweet, coming together of two hearts that beat as one. A coming together of two bodies that would know the

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Rie McGaha shape and feel of one another, even if they'd not had hands to touch, even if they'd not had eyes to see. They knew the planes and valleys, the hills, the round, lush curves. They knew how to stoke the other's desires, how to kindle hot, searing flames, how to bank them. They knew when to take the other up, how to bring them back, when to give, when to take, when to ride the long, languid wave to shore. Making love when love was new had seared them with frantic passion, but making love when love was built on the solid foundation of friendship and years of knowing one another, was beyond passion. It was the absolute knowledge of one another, absolute trust in one another. It was love in its purest form.

Chapter Thirteen After dressing, Jessie and Josh walked back to the house hand in hand. Terri was awake, sitting on the couch watching T.V. She looked up when they walked in. "Is there a way to go back?" Jess knelt in front of her and said, "No, I'm sorry. Josh has been trying to find a way to undo it, but he hasn't had any luck, so far." Terri burst into tears and Jess held her, rocking her until there were no tears left. "I'm going to fix us something to eat," Jessie said, getting to her feet, "and then Josh needs to tell you a few things." "I don't want to know any more about this," Terri said sadly. "I know. This is a lot for anyone to cope with. But you have to trust us, Terri, and you have to listen. You're in danger. We're all in danger. Those wolves who were here the other day? They'll be back. And when they get here, we have to be ready for them. You have to learn how to protect yourself, and how to kill them," Jessie said.

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Blood Line "I could never kill!" Terri looked from her sister to her brother-in-law. Jess drew in a frustrated breath. "Terri, if you don't, they will kill you, believe me. They already did once! If you hadn't been bitten, you would have died! You have to learn to defend yourself because Josh and I will be trying to defend ourselves, and you’ll have to help us out! You might not like what's happened here, but you are going to have to accept it and make the best of it, dammit. This might not be the way you planned your life, but life doesn't always turn out the way we plan it!" "Jess," Josh said softly, taking her hand. "What are you fixing for supper? I'm starving, so make a lot of it." He pushed her gently toward the kitchen before she could reply. Sitting on the couch next to Terri, he put an arm around her shoulder. "I'm sorry, sis. I wish I could change things for you. For myself too, but I can't. I didn't want this anymore than you did, but I'm stuck with it just like you are. The werewolf I killed was very old, the Alpha of his clan, and they'll keep coming after me until they kill me, or I kill them. Now you're part of their clan because you were made by one of them just like I was. And because you're here with us, they'll come after you. You'll have two choices. Side with them against Jessie and me, or kill them before they kill you. "I know you're scared. I've never been more scared in my life than I've been since meeting that bastard on the road a few months ago. I wish I'd never slowed down, just kept going and believed it was a dog or something. But I can't change what I did, or what's happening now, and you can't change what's happened to you, either. "I don't mean to sound harsh, Terri, but you're going to have to stand up and accept this, or die. The choice is yours. I'll help you, but you will have to decide." He kissed her forehead and left her sitting on the couch, giving her time to think, while he went to find Jessie. Jess looked at him as she set spaghetti on the table. "Is she okay?"

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Rie McGaha He shrugged. "She will be, I'm sure." "I know it's a lot to get used to, but she's got to accept it and get on with her life. There is nothing to be done that will change anything. Why can't she just accept it?" "She can," Terri said as she came into the room. Jessie's head jerked up. "Terri, I'm sorry. I know I should have told you sooner, should have made you leave, or at least given you a choice, but I didn't know where to begin. And you were so messed up over what Tim did to you . . . I couldn't just make you leave." "It's okay, Jess. Really. I know I've been a baby about all of this, but God, how else would you expect me to act? I've been turned into a werewolf! How many times does that happen?" "Apparently more often than we thought," Josh said dryly. Terri gave a half-laugh. "Yeah . . . I guess so." "Let's eat," Jess said as she took her chair and began filling plates with pasta. "When do we start?" Terri asked Josh. He looked up from his plate and shrugged. "Whenever you want, but the sooner, the better. After supper?" "I guess so." Terri nodded. "Good." Josh stuffed a forkful of spaghetti into his mouth, chewed, and then washed it down with a sip of wine. "Jess, you can help with the pistol, you took to that pretty quickly, and I'll teach her how to use the knives. It's going to help a lot having another person who knows how to use a gun. I want all of us to be armed and ready the next time they show up. There seems to a lot of them, and we have to be prepared, in case they all show up here at once." "Did you notice none of them were in human form?" "I did, and I've thought about that myself, 'cause as many of them as I've had to fight with, I've never seen a single one become human during battle."

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Blood Line "And knives are their only weapon, Josh. Why don't they use guns?" "Remember," he said and drained his wine glass, "we're the only ones, besides Ganda, who know how to make bullets that will kill them. Fortunately." "Who's Ganda?" Terri asked. "That's a long story, so I'll tell you all about her while we're practicing," Josh said her as he dished up seconds. After supper, they practiced in the front yard. All three used sticks in place of knives. Terri was slowly getting the idea, but was so timid with the sticks Josh feared she'd only wind up hurting herself if she had a real knife. Finally, he told Terri to sit so she could watch him spar with Jessie. Jessie was aggressive and Josh never had to hold back with her, but he was also very careful not to really hurt her. She, on the other hand, didn't care if she left him black and blue, and he spent most of their time sparring on the defensive. When Josh finally tired of being beaten, they went out to the barn so Jess could teach Terri to handle a gun. Josh certainly hoped she'd be better with a semi-automatic than she was with a knife. ***** They spent the next several weeks practicing with one another, and teaching Terri to defend herself. She improved, slowly, but any improvement was welcome. When the wolves returned, they'd be ready . . . or as ready as they'd ever be. Josh leaned back against a sump in the front yard with Jess between his legs, resting against his chest. "Do you think she'll be able to hold her own?" she asked. Josh took a pull off his Coke then wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "I hope so. But we'll be right beside her and won't let her get too far away

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Rie McGaha from us. If she stays by the fire and just uses the pistol, she'll be all right." "Not afraid she'll shoot one of us?" Jess turned to kiss his chin. He laughed. "Hell yes, I'm scared she'll shoot one of us! But I don't know what else to do with her." Jess fingered her recently repaired wedding ring, which now hung on a long chain around her neck. "She has gotten better, though. At least she can hit the hay bale now," Jess said, feeling the need to defend her sister. "It's nearly seven feet high and just as wide! A blind man could hit it!" Jess poked an elbow into his ribs. "Well, all she hit before was the barn, so I think she's improved a lot." Josh slid his hand beneath her tank top to fondle her breast. "I don't know how long it'll be before they come back, Jess. I worry about you. You and Terri. I don't want anything to happen to you, darlin'." He kissed the back of her head. "I know, baby, I worry about you, too. I just hope this is over soon. How many more of them can there be?" "I don't know, but they could be making more for the clan. It's easy enough to do." "I hope not. We're out-numbered now. If Ganda hadn't told you about the bullets, I don't think we'd still be alive." "I know we wouldn't. And I've thought about that, too. Some of them may have seen the others get shot and die and have already told the clan that there is a bullet that will kill us. I moved the rest of the bullets from the shed and I picked up the extra mags just in case. They're in the bottom of the closet in our room. I don't want any of them comin' around trying to steal them." "That was a good idea. You ready to go in?" "Yeah," he said hoarsely, squeezing her breast as he kissed her neck. "I need a shower, and I need you naked." "Is that right? Just so happens, I have a need or two of my own." "Do you now?"

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Blood Line "Mmmm, hmmm," she murmured and slid her hand down the back of his jeans. "But I want you clean. Now go shower."

***** Josh stepped into the shower, letting the hot spray wash over his neck and back. He couldn't believe how his life had changed. He'd always been a truck driver, had never wanted to be anything else. Not that he missed driving so much; he just missed the predictability of it all. Driving was something he understood, something he didn't really have to think about too much, and Jessie was always with him, driving sometimes, and handling the load information. Being home with her was good. He was happy here, even with someone else driving his truck. But all of this werewolf stuff was getting to him. Not knowing what would happen tomorrow, not knowing if he or Jess would be alive. And now he had Terri to worry about. He could wring Jessie's neck for not making her sister go back home before all of this started. He could wring his own for not insisting she had. Well, they were in it now, all three of them, and none of them had any choice in the matter. As the hot water poured over him, he thought about the future they would have. They’d talked of having children at some point, but hadn’t been in any hurry; now Josh felt an ache in his heart for the son he’d never have, for the daughter he’d never know. It might still be physically possible to create children, but in light of what had happened, he could never bring a child into this existence. Even if he and Jessie managed to stay alive. He laughed bitterly at how their lives had so drastically changed by one simple twist of fate. He turned off the water, was about to step out of the shower, when a high-pitched scream interrupted his reverie. He didn't even grab a towel as he

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Rie McGaha ran to the bedroom, grabbing his pistol and an extra magazine. Water dripped down his face, and he wiped it away with the back of his hand. Holding the pistol at the ready, he went quietly through the living room, pausing at the entrance to the kitchen. He waited, listening, but the house was quietly. Too quiet. Tiptoeing through the kitchen and laundry room, he went to the back door and looked out. Jessie stood on the back porch, gun aimed into the night, with Terri behind her. Terri had a gun, too, but her hand was shaking so badly, Josh was afraid she'd wind up shooting Jess in the back. He whistled low to get Jessie's attention, not wanting to startle either woman, and then pushed through the recently repaired storm door. Thank goodness for the darkness, he thought, remembering his nakedness. "What's going on?" he whispered. "They're here! I heard them, but I haven't seen any yet." "Okay, I'm going back inside to put some pants on and get some more magazines. Do you have your bag?" "No, I wasn't even thinking about it." "Okay, I'll get yours, too. Terri?" She turned toward him. He could barely make out her features, but he could feel her fear. "Don't shoot your sister, okay? Just aim the gun like she showed you and keep your elbow straight so the recoil doesn't cause you to smack yourself in the face." "Uh-huh," she said. "Josh," Jess whispered, "we're going to run over to the bonfire and light it. Hurry up!" Josh raced through the dark house, grabbed a flashlight off the dresser and found a pair of jeans on the floor. He hastily pulled them on, grabbed both his and Jessie's leather bags, shoved all the extra magazines in them, along with boxes of silver bullets, and ran back to the laundry room.

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Blood Line Sliding both bags over his head and shoulder, he opened the back door. The fire was burning and Terri was sitting on the far side with her elbows resting on her knees, holding the .45 pistol in both hands aimed into the darkness. Jess was on her feet, pacing back and forth. Josh covered the distance from the porch to the fire in a few strides and dropped the bags on the ground. He handed both women extra magazines, even though he didn't think Terri would remember how to reload if it came down to it. Taking up a position on the south side of the fire, they waited. Josh scanned the edge of darkness, where the light from the fire ended. Why hadn't they attacked? Had they figured out they'd be shot and killed, and come up with some way to minimize the effect? Whatever the case, the only way the wolves could kill him and the two women was if they got close enough to cut off their heads. And there was no way in hell Josh was going to let that happen. The first attack came less than fifteen minutes later. Josh had been right; the werewolves were coming in full force this time. He and Jessie fired rapidly, dropping the empty magazines and reloading in an automatic motion. Terri had no trouble firing, and even managed to fumble her way through reloading, albeit slowly. She continued firing in rapid succession, her aim much better than Josh could have ever hoped. The battle raged for several minutes, the sound of gunfire filling the air, followed by bright white explosions of fire as werewolves ignited. Fireballs continued to explode into the air, and then suddenly there was silence. "Everyone all right?" Josh called out. Terri stood off to the side, apparently frozen in place. Jess pried the gun from her sister's hand. "We're fine," she said and dropped the magazine, slammed a full one into place. "Terri! You did great," she said and hugged her sister.

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Rie McGaha Josh hugged them both and started picking up empty mags so he and Jess could reload them. "I don't think we're out of the woods yet," he said as he put another bullet in the magazine. "We have to be quick about this." Jessie nodded and they continued reloading. They didn't get all of the magazines reloaded before the second round of werewolves charged and the night erupted once again in chaos. The werewolves came at them in waves, dozens of them, a seemingly endless tide. Josh kept firing, taking out the frontrunners, and reloaded as quickly as he could drop the empty mags. He caught sight of Terri, up on her feet now, pivoting on her toes, firing as fast as she could pull the trigger as her arms swept right and left. She dropped the empty magazine and slammed another into the gun, just as Jess had taught her. "Josh!" Jess shouted. "Throw me another magazine," she yelled as she dropped the empty one. "I'm out!" He shouted and fired the last round. "Fuck me!” Josh raised a brow. "Give me just a minute on that one darlin', okay?" "Ha, ha! Terri? Do you have another magazine? We're out!" Terri slammed the last magazine into her gun and fired. "No! I'm out!" Jess had already dropped her weapon and was reaching for the leather bag, taking out the Gurkas. She shifted in a flash, and the wolf emerged, standing ready with a knife in each hand. She looked up at her husband; his fur reflected red heat from the dying fire, his gold eyes reflected simmering fury. Terri stood gaping at her sister and brother-in-law. Jess didn't wait, but grabbed Terri's hand and dragged her behind her until they were across the yard and behind the shed. Josh remained behind, locked in mortal combat. Jess took her sister's hand, held it palm up and ran the tip of the blade gently across it, just enough to draw blood.

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Blood Line "Look at your hand, Terri," she said. The minute Terri saw the blood, she shifted, her wolf emerging instantaneously. Terri retrieved her set of knives from Jessie's bag, and the two of them returned to the fray. Howling with every head he lopped off, Josh fought like a man possessed. The wolves were coming in full force now and he was outnumbered. Jess and Terri joined the fight, swinging their knives in a terror-driven frenzy. They fought for their lives, using knives, elbows, knees and feet to defend themselves. Jess lost count of how many werewolves she'd killed, but still more came to take their places. She fought her way through them, dispatching one after another, but in the battle, she lost track of her sister. Panic rose in her throat as she frantically scanned the area. She'd lost sight of Josh, too, and the thought of being left alone to fight off their attackers made her wild with fear. Suddenly, she caught a glimpse of Terri, off to her right, and she fought her way to her. Side-by-side, fighting and lopping off heads, they went deeper into the surrounding forest, killing whoever dared come near them. The stench of burning fur was thick in their nostrils; the acrid smoke stung their eyes. The heat from the flaming bodies was intense, and ash floated thick on the air. Suddenly, there was nothing left to fight. Jess stood ready, looking around, back-to-back with Terri. She turned in a complete circle, catching sight of Josh in the distance, still fighting two of the werewolves. Jessie turned, stepped away from her sister and took a quick look around. Judging the coast clear, she started toward Josh. She never saw them coming. Three wolves came out of nowhere, converging on she and Terri. Terri raised her arms as the werewolves struck, but one came in low and hit Terri in the stomach, knocking her off her feet. He raised his knife over her chest and Jess flew into him. The other two werewolves came

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Rie McGaha at her. She swung the Gurkas, cut one of them in half at the stomach, falling to her knees as he burst into flames. Jess tried to get to her feet, but the second werewolf grabbed her around the throat. She felt the chain around her neck break as her wedding band fell to the ground. The third werewolf brought his knife down, sliding it across Terri's throat. Oh, God! Terri! No! Jess released a loud, anguished howl as she witnessed her sister's death. At the sound of Jessie's cry, Josh looked up. What he saw made his heart stop, and for a moment, time seemed to stand still. A werewolf swung his knife, severing Jessie's head. Her body burst into bright, white flames as two werewolves ran into the night holding a third werewolf between them. Before he could react to what he'd just seen, another werewolf came at him. Josh smashed a foot into the beast's stomach, and when it bent forward, he brought the knife down on the back of its neck, severing the head. Howling with pain and terror, Josh charged to the area where he'd seen Jessie fall. The fire was nearly gone by the time he reached the spot, but ash was still floating on the air. Falling to the ground screaming, he ran his fingers over the dirt where his wife had lain, no longer able to see through his tears. His fingers found the gold chain that had hung around her neck, and then the gold band that he’d placed on her finger more than ten years ago. He clutched them to his heart, and a sound that was more animal than man erupted from his chest. The pain came from the depths of his soul, and he screamed her name over and over and over. Josh struggled for breath, struggled to think, as his mind continued to replay her death. Dead. His Jessie was dead. Terri, too, apparently. They'd been together when he'd looked up just seconds before he’d seen Jessie killed. He cried and raged and screamed. He lay there, naked, with the chain and wedding band clutched to his chest. Night faded into day and Josh made no 130

Blood Line attempt to get up. He was alone. Oh God, I can’t live without her! His mind screamed. How could he let her go? She'd wanted to become a wolf so that she could live with him forever, so that she wouldn't die of old age, and would save him from grieving her death, from living through eternity without her. And now she was dead and gone. Right before his eyes, he'd watched her be murdered. Day faded into another night and he continued to lie where he was, hoping they'd come back. Wanting them to come back and kill him, too. He wouldn't even fight them; he'd just allow it to happen. Life without Jessie wasn't worth living. Then day came once more and perhaps he'd slept, he wasn't sure, but he still made no attempt to move. Night fell again and he waited for them. They still didn't come. Finally, he staggered to his feet and stumbled toward the house. * * * ** Josh stood in the shower and let the hot spray run over his body. He braced his hands against the wall for support and didn't move again until the water turned cold. Drying off, dressing, he did everything automatically. He hadn't eaten in the five days since Jessie had been killed. Since she and Terri had been killed, he corrected himself. He'd dragged himself off the ground in the late afternoon of the third day, made his way to the house where he'd collapsed on the bed and slept for the next two. He had lain there, staring at the ceiling, for most of the day, and then had forced himself up and into the shower. He wanted to die. There were two ways for him to die, but only one of them would have quick results. Picking up the silver bullet off the dresser, he turned it around in his fingers. Then he dropped it in his pocket and pulled on his socks and boots. 131

Rie McGaha He picked up the phone, made a couple of quick calls, waited on the fax. The papers came through moments later. He barely glanced at them before he signed them, and then folded them into an envelope. He signed the truck title, and added that to the envelope, too, then addressed it to the driver he and Jess had hired. He had no use for the truck anymore and Chuck Johnson had done a fine job. He’d be surprised to find he now owned it. Josh walked through the house with a gas can, letting the contents drain. First through the second floor, then the bottom floor. He’d packed a suitcase, just a couple of changes of clothes, a photo album of his and Jessie's wedding, the pictures she loved that had hung on the walls. On his way out of the house, he dropped a lit match, and then he walked to Jessie's Jeep, laid the signed title in the front seat with a note for his friend, Jim Glick, who'd cast the silver bullets for him. Setting his bag on the passenger seat of his little truck, he started the engine and drove away. By the time anyone noticed the fire and called it in, and the fire trucks arrived, the house would be totally engulfed and beyond saving. And Josh would be long gone. He drove the speed limit all the way to the main highway, signaled, and took the exit onto the road that would take him back to Louisiana. Ganda's house was the only safe place he knew and he needed some time to recuperate, some time to plan, some time to grieve. He headed south without giving the house a second thought.

Chapter Fourteen Josh arrived at Ganda's late that night. She invited him inside, and he followed her up the stairs. They sat across from one another at her tiny kitchen table, and Ganda studied his face. He was pale, and his eyes were sunken with dark circles

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Blood Line beneath them. He had a blank, lifeless expression, but she could sense the pain, the agony beneath the surface, could feel the utter despair in his heart. She empathized with his plight, well remembered the pain she'd known when Colin had been killed. Though more than two thousand years had passed, she still felt that same pain whenever she thought about his death. However, she rarely thought about such things these days. She had no desire to live on anguish, and no longer reveled in the pain. She understood completely how Josh felt, but she wouldn't feel sorry for him. He didn't need her pity; he had enough self-pity of his own. What he did need was strength and for now, she would give him hers. There were things he did not yet know, things she could not yet reveal, but she wished she could. More was at stake for him now than his broken heart. She got to her feet and went to the stove. She brewed a pot of tea, and poured them both a cup. "When was the last time you ate, boy?" He looked up at her and shrugged, his expression blank. His cheeks were hollow from lack of nourishment. Ganda shook her head and began peeling potatoes, put them in a pot and set them to boil. She cut up a chicken, coated it with seasoned flour and then placed the pieces to fry in a heavy cast iron skillet, which she covered with a lid. She made biscuits, slid them into the oven, and then sat down again to sip her tea. "You'll be eatin' tonight," she said and refilled his cup. Josh just continued staring into his teacup, but said nothing. Ganda shook her head again. The time to talk would come. He just needed time now to roll the words around in his head, get it all straight. Standing at the stove, she forked the crispy fried chicken onto a platter, then added a little flour to the drippings and stirred it all together. She added some milk and made the gravy. She didn't bother with putting the food on the table; instead, she made him a plate from the stove and set it before him. She buttered two golden biscuits for him and set them on a saucer next to his plate.

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Rie McGaha "Eat," she said. Josh stared at the plate in front of him. He wanted to toss the whole thing in the trash, or better yet, fling it against the nearest wall. Instead, he picked up a fork and took a bite. To his surprise, his stomach quivered with delight as he ate the gravy-covered mashed potatoes, took a bite of one of the biscuits, and then started on a piece of chicken. Ganda smiled and drank her tea. "Milk?" he asked her through a mouthful of food. She went to the refrigerator and poured him a glass. He continued eating, washing it down with milk until his plate was clean. "Would you like some more?" she asked. "Yes, but I don't think I could handle any more. My stomach seems to have shrunk. I didn't realize how hungry I was until I started eating. Thank you." He nearly managed a smile as he covered her hand with his. She smiled, her face crinkling. "You're welcome, boy. Now get a bottle of Coke and go on out to the veranda and I'll be along as soon as I deal with the dishes." "I can help," he said. "Not tonight. You go on out, I'll be along in a bit." Josh sat in the old wicker armchair, propped his feet up on the railing and tipped back the bottle of Coke. He felt drained. His body didn't feel capable of doing much besides sitting, and his mind could barely form a coherent thought. Everywhere he looked he saw Jessie's face. Heard her laughter, and yearned for her touch. He longed to feel her body next to his, and it was nearly inconceivable to think he'd never touch her again. "I can't believe she's gone," he said, fighting against fresh tears. He took several deep breaths, tried to regain his composure. "I remember when Colin was killed," Ganda said as she came to sit in the rocker beside him. "Thought I'd die myself. Wanted to die, too, just couldn't find a way to do it short of cutting off my own head."

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Blood Line "That thought has crossed my mind," he said without looking at her. "I have one of the silver bullets in my pocket, just in case." "There won't be any reason for you to be usin’ it, boy. Do you want to tell me what happened?” He shrugged. "I don't know." He sucked on the pop bottle then quietly said, "I burned my house down." She stopped rocking and gave him a sideways look. "You did." It wasn't a question. "I gave my big truck away, gave Jessie's Jeep away, and burned our house down. I got no reason to stay there, to ever go back." "I don't expect you do. I'm not going to tell you that you'll change your mind. I know you won't. I never went back after Colin died, either, and I've not stepped foot in the country since. And all these years later, I still can't see myself going back," she said as she drank from her teacup. "We're different, you and I, different even from the rest of the beasts out there. My father was pure wolf and before he became man, became what we are now, he'd known no female at all until my mother, but that's how all wolves were. The form that you and I are, the human side, is quite capable of having sex with various partners, but once the wolf inside finds a mate, there will be no other. Ever. “But you and I, we're different, Joshua. Even if it had nothing to do with the wolf, we'd still never have another. I never knew another man before Colin, and none since. I'd bet Jessie is the only woman you’ve ever known, in the biblical sense, as well. Some people are just like that, they only love once with their whole being. It's not so common as it once was, but you and I aren't common, either." "I don't know how to go on without her," he said softly. "No, I don't suppose you would right now, but it's still too fresh, too new. You can't make decisions yet. You have to give it some more time. I've invited a

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Rie McGaha friend for a visit, someone you know, as well. There is some information that he has that will help us both, I think." Josh looked at her, but couldn't see her dark face in the night. "Who is it?" "Garan." "Garan." Josh knew the name, let it wander through his mind, and then remembered. "The silver wolf?" "The silver wolf." She nodded. "My father's brother." Josh just stared at her, surprised, yet again by another new turn of events. "You have to remember," Ganda said, "that my father was a wolf. Not the half species like you, but one hundred percent animal. He was born into a pack, a litter of eight. In those days, of course, life did not exist the way it does now and the wolf was at the top of the hierarchy. They had communication abilities, perhaps not in the way we do, but they were capable of understanding speech, of communicating telepathically. "It was how my father and mother came to be in the beginning. And after my mother had cast her circle and made my father human, subsequently bringing on the curse that makes us what we are now, my father couldn't forget his family. When he learned that he could make others like himself, he went to his family first and those who would, received." She drank from her teacup, sighed heavily and then continued. "My uncle's transformation was quite by accident since my father was unaware that he was able to make others like he was. But once he knew, he offered the gift to the rest of his family, and several of his other siblings accepted. We are the only ones left now." "That's why he knew so much about you," Josh muttered and she nodded. "He didn't tell me where you were." "He wouldn't," she said, looking into her empty teacup. "We'll sleep now." She rose slowly from her chair. "Tomorrow we'll talk and see what Garan has to tell us."

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Blood Line Jessie was alive in his dreams. She called his name, but he couldn't see her. He walked down a long, dark tunnel, toward a barely visible dim light in the distance. Her voice came from there. He shouted her name, but she didn't reply. Calling to her over and over, running now, he drew closer to the light. And then . . . . "Josh! Help me!" "Jessie!" He screamed her name, his heart pounding against his rib cage. His lungs burned as he gasped for air. Sweat poured off him. The sound of his footfalls echoed in his ears. He ran toward her voice. Ran as fast as he could. He reached the light. Stopped to listen, called her name again. No answer. The only thing he could hear now was his own heart pounding, his own breath heaving in his chest. He screamed her name again. Still no answer. He inhaled, tried to slow his breathing, wiped his forehead with his arm. He looked around, sniffed the air. Jessie's scent filled his senses, filled his mind. He fell to his knees and cried. Josh sat up straight in the dark, his breathing heavy and his heart pounding. Outside the window, the sun had just risen, and he remembered where he was. Louisiana. Ganda's home. He wiped his brow, covered his face with both hands and took several deep, slow breaths. He threw the blanket back and stepped onto the wood floor with bare feet. He padded to the bathroom, relieved himself and splashed water over his face. In the kitchen, he made a pot of coffee, and then stepped out on the deck. He needed a cigarette. "I see you survived," Garan said, stepping out of the shadows. Josh didn't startle; he'd sensed he wasn't alone, and some small part of him still expected—still hoped for—a werewolf to find him and kill him. Live or die—it made no difference. "Yes, I survived, though I can not help but wish I hadn't." He took a deep breath. "They killed my wife." Garan took a deep breath. "Josh, have a seat. We need to talk."

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Rie McGaha Josh looked at the older man. "Coffee?" he asked. Garan nodded. "Sure. I'm in no rush." "Be right back," Josh said and went back inside. Ganda was in the kitchen, and Josh gave her a warm smile. "Your uncle is here," he said, reaching for three cups. "I know," she replied. "I'll just have tea." She took one of the cups from him. Josh filled the remaining two mugs with coffee and carried them back out to the deck. "Hope you drink it black; I didn't think to ask if you take anything in it." "Black's fine," Garan said, accepting a cup and taking a sip before addressing his niece. "Ganda, you look well." "I am well," she said and patted his arm, then sat in the rocker. "Take this chair," Josh said to Garan. "No, I think I'll stand for a bit. You sit and listen. I have some things to tell you, boy, but you have to sit right there until I'm finished. If you run off with a hot head, you'll not be of any help to anyone. Besides," he said, and chuckled, "I'd have to beat a little sense into you and it's just too early for that. Got it?" Josh cut a sideways glance at the older man, and then looked at Ganda. The hair on the back of his neck was standing on end and he had an uneasy feeling in his gut. Something was wrong. He could feel it. "What is it?" "I wasn't sure you'd make it that night after the clan meeting. Truthfully, I was very surprised to learn they didn't kill you then and there. I was even more surprised to find you had found my niece, here, and that she didn't feed you to the alligators. Then, when I heard that you were shooting Amcor's clan and killing them, I knew Ganda had told you more than she's told anyone before you. Including me." He raised a brow at her as he paced a few steps to the railing, and then looked out across the yard to the swamp beyond. "There is a werewolf called Hodge, his human name is Melvin Hodges. Amcor

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Blood Line made him a few hundred years ago, maybe farther back than that, but I don't remember such things like I used to. He and Amcor were thick as thieves, and since Amcor's death, Hodge has taken over the clan. He rarely uses his human form anymore, unless he absolutely has to, so the fact that he has become human lately means he considers you, or at least the knowledge you have, as a great threat." Garan shrugged and swallowed a drink of coffee. "I got this information from a third party, mind you, but I know it's accurate. Hodge is the one who planned these attacks against you and your family. The fact that you have survived has really pissed him off. He led the attack on your property the other night. He killed your sister-in-law." Garan took a deep breath, drank the rest of his coffee and set the cup on the railing. He took a few steps and came to stand in front of Josh, his feet spread, his arms loose at his sides. It made Josh think he was getting ready for a fight. Josh cocked his head and looked up at the other man. "He's also the one that took your wife." "You mean murdered my wife," Josh said. "No, Josh. I mean took her." Josh looked at Garan and then at Ganda. The words whirled through his mind. The world around him began to tilt, to spin out of control. His heart thudded in his chest and he couldn't draw a breath. He tried to stand, but Garan blocked him. He looked at Garan, could see his mouth moving, but couldn't hear a thing for the buzzing in his head. He felt his head being forced forward to his knees, and let it happen. Closing his eyes, he forced himself to breathe. In and out. In and out. That's all there was to it. Jessie, Jessie, Jessie. His mind spun her name around and around. His head began to clear, and he pushed himself to an upright position very slowly. Taking a deep breath, he let it out. Then took another one. "I saw her. I saw them take her head. I saw her die," he said slowly. "No, you saw her sister die. Think about it, Joshua. Where were you at the 139

Rie McGaha time? What were you doing?" "I was killing two of those bastards. I looked over and saw Jess and Terri. Terri was on the ground, a werewolf was about to kill her, I saw Jess tackle him. Then . . . I don't know; I had my hands full. When I killed the last werewolf, I looked up, saw Jessie's head fly off, saw it burst into flames. By the time I got there, three werewolves were running off in the distance." He shook his head, rubbed his face hard, held his head in his hands. "You saw Terri die. You thought it was your wife, but one of the three werewolves you saw running was Jessie." "How? Why? Why would they take her?" Josh shook his head. He came suddenly to his feet, pushing the chair backward, grabbing Garan by the front of his shirt. "Where is she, old man? Where the fuck is my wife?" Garan sighed patiently. "Josh, I don't know. Now let me go, or I'll toss your ass over the railing." Josh held the man's stare, and then released him. "I have to find her. I have to go. Ganda, I have to go." "Josh! You have to calm down. You go running off half-cocked and you will get yourself killed. You won't be able to help Jessie if you don't calm down and think about what you're going to do. You need a plan and I'm going to help you." Josh paced the deck; he wanted a cigarette so badly he could taste it. "There's some downstairs in the store," Ganda said and continued rocking in her chair. "I'll get them," Garan said and started for the house. "I don't want him to be alone, he'll probably run." "Did you know she was alive, Ganda?" Josh asked. "I knew," she said. "Why didn't you tell me? Dammit! I had a right to know!" "Yes, you did, and now you do. What would you have done last night if I 140

Blood Line had told you?" Josh gripped the railing and stared out across the yard. He would have taken off. He knew he would have, without any idea where he would go or how to find Jessie. Consequences would’ve been the last thing on his mind. He would have ran on pure emotion and probably wound up getting himself killed. That would have left Jessie completely alone with the animal that had kidnapped her, the one who was holding her hostage now. Bowing his head, still braced against the railing, he squeezed his eyes shut, trying to block the image of Jessie being held against her will. God only knew what was happening to her. His imagination was running wild, and he didn't want to think of all the “what ifs.” "You're right." He stood and faced Ganda. "I would've run out of here without thinking, without knowing where I was going, or what I was going to do. I can be an idiot sometimes." He gave a half laugh. "Jess used to tell me that." Ganda leaned forward in her rocker, took his hand in hers and squeezed. "You listen to Garan, boy; he'll help you sort this out. You make a plan, figure out what to do, where to go, and stick to it. Just maybe you and your woman will both get out of this with your heads attached to your shoulders." "She's right," Garan said, tossing a pack of smokes and a book of matches to Josh. "We have to plan this out, figure out where he's taken her and how you're going to get her back. It's not going to be easy and the chances that you'll live through it are pretty slim." Josh tamped the pack against his palm, opened it up and pulled out a smoke. He put the cigarette between his lips, struck a match, lit the tip and inhaled. He coughed and choked until he turned blue. Garan and Ganda sat patiently watching him, not bothering to hide the curve of their lips. Josh wiped his eyes, looked at the cigarette in his hand. "Smooth." "Okay, let's see if we can come up with something here before you're the first wolf to die of lung cancer," Garan said blandly.

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Chapter Fifteen "Jim? Yeah, it's Josh. How ya doin'?" Josh sat in Ganda's little store talking into the receiver of the pay phone—the only phone Ganda had. "Yeah, I know. Glad you liked the Jeep. No, that's okay, it's yours. Yeah, I know, but don’t worry about it; I’ll explain it all when I see you. Yeah, about the house, too." He paused. "Jim, I need you to come to Louisiana, I've got a job for you. I'll send you the plane ticket and you'll be paid very well for this. Of course, you can't say a thing to anyone, not even Alice. Yeah, I know she'll have your ass for lying to her, but you can buy her something nice and make up for it later. This is important and I need you, buddy. Thanks, your flight leaves in three hours. Can you get to the airport by then? I'll meet you and fill you in later." Josh hung up the phone. He took a deep breath. There. That was done. He took the steps three at a time, went back out on the veranda. "Jim will be here late tonight. I'll drive in and get him," Josh told Garan and Ganda. "You trust him then?" "I told you I did." "I know, but you might have to reveal things to him he isn't ready to hear. You might have to kill him later, or turn him. Are you ready to do that?" "Look, Garan," Josh said, his temper rising to the surface. "I said we can trust him. I don't plan on telling him everything, but if it comes to it, I still say I can trust him without killing him, or turning him. Got it?" "All right, don't get your panties in a bunch. I’m just trying to help." "I know, I know. I just can't help it; I've felt so useless, so stupid for not being close enough to save her that night, rather than just falling apart like I did. And now I'm pissed off." Garan slapped him on the back. "I know, but you save that anger for later.

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Blood Line You're going to have your chance to make it work for you. But for now, you're just going to have to keep your cool and get this planned out. I've got an idea as to where Hodge might have taken her, but we'll have to wait until I get some more information." "I don't understand what he wants with her in the first place." He paced back and forth on the deck. "If he touches her, lays one hand on her, hurts her in any way at all, there won't be any place on this earth he can hide. I'll find him. He has no clue what pain is until I get my hands on his ass!" "Josh, calm down. It doesn't help anything for you to get all worked up now. Save it for later, for when you find her." Garan sat sipping tea in a chair next to Ganda. "Sit down and have a bottle of that Coke you're always drinking, boy. You're wearing a hole in my deck." Ganda chuckled over the rim of her cup. "Sorry. It's just the waiting that's getting to me. Once I get Jim from the airport . . . once we get started . . . I'll feel better. At least then I'll be doing something constructive."

***** Several long hours later, Josh jumped in his pick pick-up truck and heading toward the airport in Baton Rouge. Jim's plane would be arriving at eleven-twenty, if it was on time, which should put them back at Ganda's by onethirty or two at the latest. He drove, reminding himself of the speed limit. He didn't need a ticket now. Arriving at the airport just after eleven, he found a spot in short-term parking and hurried into the terminal. He searched the arrival screen until he found the correct flight and gate number, then hurried down to the corresponding baggage claim area. Once there, he paced back and forth until he heard the flight arrival announced.

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Rie McGaha The passengers began coming down the escalator to baggage claim, and of course, Jim was among the last group of stragglers, bringing up the rear. "I only have the one carry-on," Jim said, by way of greeting, "so we can get out of here whenever you're ready." They headed out to the parking area, neither one speaking until they were in the truck and heading down the highway toward Ganda's. Finally, Josh slowed the truck a little, keeping it right at the speed limit, and glanced over at his friend. "How was your flight?" "Good," Jim replied. "It went up and down just like it was supposed to." Josh tried to smile, but his face felt tight. "I'm glad you could make it. I hope it settles all right with Alice, man." "Don't worry about it," Jim said with a wave of his hand. "She'll be fine. We’ve been married too damn long for it to be any other way. If she was gonna leave me, believe me, she's had better reasons than this." "There's an envelope in the glove box," Josh said and nodded his head. "It's yours. Half now, half when you're done. And that's only because I'm not the one footing the bill. If I was, you'd get it all now." Jim opened the envelope, took out the neatly stacked and banded bills. He whistled low as he thumbed through it. "Damn Josh, who do you want me to kill?" Josh shook his head. "No one. There's twenty-five grand there, twenty-five more later. But you have to know this can never go beyond us, Jim. I know you know that, but Garan made me promise to tell you that anyway. He's a little paranoid, but he has good reason to be. I trust you, Jim, I've known you damn near all my life, but this stuff here, tonight, what you're going to find out in the next few days, is bigger than anything you've ever seen. It’s bigger than anything I've ever seen, and I still can't believe it." "What's this all about, Josh?" "Jessie's been kidnapped. I have to find her."

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Blood Line "What?" Jim's voice rose. "What about the cops? The FBI?" "They don't have anything to do with this. I can't let them have anything to do with this." "Have you and Jess been doing something illegal?" "No." Josh almost managed to laugh. "I wish that's all it was, though; it'd sure be a lot easier to deal with. I can't explain it all to you, but I want you to believe it has nothing to do with anything illegal. It's just very private and the fewer people who know, the better. You have expertise in an area I don't and we need you to make some weapons for us." "Like the silver bullet deal?" Josh hesitated, and then nodded. "Yes, it has to do with that." "You never did tell me what you did with those." "It's better you don't know, Jim." "Okay, Josh. Whatever you want." He held up the stack of bills. "You didn't have to buy my silence or my cooperation. We're friends, so I'm here for whatever it is you need." Josh glanced at him. “I know, but there's no reason you shouldn't get paid for your time. If that's not enough, I can probably get you more. This guy you're gonna meet has millions, I guess; if you want more, I'll get him to fork it over." "This'll do fine, Josh. It's as much as what I make in a year. I think I can probably even smooth over Alice's ruffled feathers when she gets a load of this!" Josh nodded and smiled half-heartedly. "Good." They arrived at Ganda's just before two in the morning. Leading Jim through the store and up the stairs into Ganda's little apartment, Josh found Garan and Ganda were both still awake waiting for them. Josh made the introductions, and they sat at the table together while Ganda got up to get them each a Coke, and poured herself a cup of tea. "We have a lot to do and the quicker we can get it done the better," Garan said. "All you have to do is tell us what to do, what you need. We'll help you in

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Rie McGaha any way we can, get you whatever you need. Don't worry about cost; it's covered." He slid a pad of paper and pen across the table to Jim. "Take notes; make a list of what you'll need." "You remember the silver bullets you made for me?" Josh asked. Jim nodded, pulling a drink off the Coke. "I filled them with a solution of equal parts arsenic and powdered copper. It's important that when you design the weapons we need the solution to be half arsenic and half powdered copper along with the silver. It's the combination of the three ingredients that's so important. We need weapons that will kill in large numbers, using the powders encased in silver. Got anything in mind?" Jim made a note about the arsenic and powdered copper. "What are you trying to kill, werewolves?" Jim chuckled. Josh cut a glance at Ganda, then at Garan. "I wish I could tell you, but right now I just can't. But it's not illegal and it's nothing you'll even hear about on the news, okay?" Jim looked from Josh to Garan. “Oh shit! What the fuck?” "We understand you have questions and doubts," Garan said, "but please don't ask, alright? It's better you don't know any more than is absolutely necessary. We just need your assistance in the matter of weapons." Jim looked at Josh and nodded. He took a deep breath and blew it out. "Something like a claymore? An anti-personnel mine?" he asked. As the others looked on, Jim took the piece of paper and began to sketch the weapon. "It was first used back in World War II, but it's been perfected over the years. It stands up on legs above the ground, like this. It has a steel plate on the back that's covered with an explosive and the front has an air pocket filled with shot and covered with a lighter-grade material so when it's detonated the majority of the force is directed forward. It's really best for a range of about fifty meters. I could make the shot out of silver and fill them with the arsenic and powdered copper."

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Blood Line "But those would have to be set in the ground, right?" Josh asked. "Yeah, they're set up in areas where the enemy will be thought to walk through. They can be detonated by a trip wire, or by remote control." "What about something hand-held? Like a grenade or something that can be thrown?" Jim wrinkled his brow. "I don't know of any type of grenade that will mimic a claymore. They're a different type of weapon, operate on different principles." "It has to be something that will fire projectiles into as many, um, of the enemy, as possible, all at one time," Garan said. "We don't know how many there will be." Ganda and Josh looked at one another, then at Garan. "We?" Josh asked. Garan took a deep breath. "I'm not letting you do this on your own." "You're not going with me, Garan," Josh said. "I have to do this on my own. I can't, no, I won’t, risk anyone else's life!" Garan laughed. "What? You think they can kill me? Son, I've been alive so long, if they could kill me, they would have! Besides, where we have to go, you're going to need me." "You've heard something, then?" "Well," Ganda said and chuckled, "you could call it that. But yes, we know more now than we did earlier today. You have to trust my uncle, Josh." "Uncle?" Jim looked from the little, old black woman to the handsome white man with the silver hair. The other three looked at each other and then back at Jim, and even Josh had to grin at the expression on Jim's face. Ganda reached across the table and patted Jim's hand. "Yes, he's my uncle. My father's brother. Can't you see the family resemblance?" They laughed again at the confusion that flashed across Jim's face. 147

Rie McGaha "Actually, it wasn't the color of your skin," Jim said. "It's the age difference." "He's so much older than I am, you'd not believe it if I told you," Ganda said. Jim's cheeks turned cherry red. "I'm sorry, ma'am. If you'll just wait a minute, I'll take my feet out of my mouth and start over." "No need, boy. Easy mistake." "Well," Garan said with a grin, "do you think you can accommodate us in this matter?" "I think so. But I need some sleep or I won't be worth a damn to anyone," Jim said. "Understandable." Garan rose from the table. "We have a cot for you. Josh will be on the sofa again, and I'll sleep out on the deck." "No, that won't be necessary. You can take the couch," Josh said. Garan waved him away. "I prefer to sleep outside, Josh. Don't worry about it. Get some rest, now, and we'll take this up again tomorrow."

***** Ganda's kitchen became Jim's workspace. Garan had quickly acquired everything on Jim's list, and using those materials, Jim designed a weapon similar to a grenade, but filled with silver shot, which he'd made with the arsenic and powdered copper mixture. The men took the first few he made deep into the swamp and tried them out, measuring the distance from point of explosion to the farthest point of impact on the trees. Jim decided he would make the explosive devices in various strengths depending on the size of the area where the device would be thrown, and then adjust the charges accordingly. Back at Ganda's, he started working on the design again. Josh wanted the

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Blood Line shot size to be larger so they could increase the amount of arsenic and copper. The wisdom of that, and whether it was even necessary, was a point of debate, since they didn't really know if the amount of the powdered substances made a difference. In the end, there was no reason to take a chance that it would matter and the shot size was increased. Jim worked and Josh paced and smoked on the deck. Ganda sat rocking in her chair, calmly sipping her tea, while Garan made many trips away from the house. Gone for hours, sometimes for the whole day and late into the night, he never gave a reason for his absences. Although Josh often paused to look him in the eye for long moments, he never asked Garan to explain. Jim walked onto the deck, a Coke in his hand. "I need to stretch my legs a bit," he said when Josh looked at him. "Not that it's any of my business, but how are you going to transport this stuff? Assuming you are going to transport it. It's not like you can check it through with your luggage." Josh looked at Jim, then at Garan. "Garan? I guess this is something you can answer." Garan continued to lie on the lounge chair he'd brought up with him from the store. "I could, of course, but it's not important at this time. Don't worry about it." Josh shrugged. "I guess it's covered." He and Jim grinned at one another and Jim went back inside. "Tourists," Ganda said. "I'll get it." Josh ran down the stairs to the store, and greeted the couple dressed in Bermuda shorts, tank tops and flip-flops. They bought drinks and chips, and when they asked directions, Josh gave them a state map free of charge since he didn't know any more about the local area than they did. When they left, he ran back up the stairs, a short case of Coke under his arm. Stopping by the kitchen to put the cans in the refrigerator, he paused to check out the materials laid out on the table where Jim worked. Shaking his head at what appeared to be

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Rie McGaha nothing but a mess, he went out on the deck. "We'll leave in the morning, Josh," Garan said without looking up. Josh stopped in his tracks. "Tomorrow?" "Before dawn. We have a long trip, boy, and it's not going to be an easy one. I've arranged for us to get our armory out of the United States, but we have to be ready early. My friend will be here with transportation sometime before dawn." Josh scratched his head, went back inside, and told Jim, "I'm leaving in the morning." "I heard. I'll be done here before then," Jim said, and continued working. "Here." Josh laid the keys to his truck on the table. "You have a ticket waiting for you at the airport; leave my truck in long-term, and I'll get it when I get back. If I don't get back, I'd appreciate it if you'd take it, sell it or something. And maybe you could check on Ganda once in a while? She won't need anything, I know, but she's alone." Jim looked up at him and nodded. "Don't worry about it, Josh." Josh slapped Jim on the shoulder. "You've been a good friend to me. Me and Jess. I appreciate it. This is the rest of what we owe you." Jim took the envelope, slipped it into his back pocket without looking at it. "Thanks," he said and went back to the task at hand. Josh shoved his hands in his pockets and walked back outside. He sat down next to Ganda. "Don't fret, boy, you'll be back," she said. "How do you know?" "Because I'm not done with you yet," she said with a laugh. "I'm fond of you, Joshua. You're the son I never had- you’re family. And when you and Garan come back with that woman of yours, we'll have a party. It's been so long since I've felt this good. I forgot I was lonely until you came around. And I want you to come around a lot more often." She wiped her eyes.

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Blood Line Josh held her leathery, old hand in his. "I don't have a whole lot, Ganda, but the little bit of money Jess and I did manage to sock away in the bank . . . well, I want to leave it with you in case we don't come back." He handed her a slip of paper with the bank information on it. "I'll keep it for you, but just until you get back." She patted his hand. "I've no need for more money myself. I've managed to acquire enough of it over the years. In fact, Garan and I both have acquired sums that we'll never spend no matter how long we should wind up living. So don't you worry none about me, boy, you just worry about getting home safe with everyone's head attached to their shoulders." "Yes ma'am," he said and managed to smile. Chapter Sixteen Jessie's head felt like it was splitting wide open, and even rubbing her temples didn't help. The last thing she remembered was the battle in the front yard of her house, standing back-to-back with Terri, fighting werewolves. Oh, God! Terri! She began to cry, remembering her sister was dead and her husband . . . she had no idea what had happened to him. She had watched Terri die, had seen her head severed, her body burst into flames. The pain shot through Jessie's heart like a knife. She wiped her face, sniffed and wiped her nose on the sleeve of the shirt she was wearing. A shirt, she noticed, that wasn't her own. More memories surfaced. Two werewolves had grabbed her and carried her off through the woods. She'd fought and kicked, but they were too strong, and when they'd reached the road, someone had been waiting for them. They'd covered her face with a rag that smelled of some strong chemical, and then the world had gone black. She awakened briefly from time to time over the next few days, but

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Rie McGaha whoever was with her kept knocking her out each time until she quit opening her eyes at all until she was sure no one would notice. The chloroform made her head ache and her lungs burn. It made her sick to her stomach. She couldn't think straight and she needed to be able to think, to listen, to figure out where she was. She had no concept of how much time had passed since that night in the yard, but she was vaguely aware that she'd been traveling. She remembered being transported from a van to a truck, remembered lying in the bottom of a steel cage that had been barred and bolted. She knew it was to keep her locked in, in the event she became a wolf, but since they'd kept her knocked out most of the time, she found that the wolf slept all too peacefully inside of her. From the truck, she'd been transferred to a boat, and the motion had made her seasick. She'd fought the urge to throw up and tried to relax and sleep the time away. Eventually, she’d been transferred from the boat to some other form of transportation, but she wasn't sure what—another van or truck, maybe, by the way it bumped and jarred her teeth to the point that she thought her head would just explode. That part of the journey seemed to go on endlessly, days and nights slipping away until she was finally dragged from the cage and carried, quite roughly, into a building of some kind. She could tell the sun was shining brightly, even though she'd been blindfolded, and she could smell fresh air. Mountain air. And she could smell a river somewhere in the distance. Her head felt better for it, but then she was inside a building, the cool air a sharp contrast to the warm sunshine. They'd dragged her down a long hallway, down stairs, then another hallway, and finally, her hands had been unbound. Then she was thrown over a werewolf's shoulder and carried down a ladder, where she was dropped onto the cool, hard, stone floor. The werewolf left her there, and pulled the ladder up after himself.

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Blood Line And that's where she finally came fully to her senses. Now, rubbing her wrists, she clenched and unclenched her fists, allowing the blood to flow freely again, then removed the blindfold and strained to see in the pitch-blackness that surrounded her. Sitting up slowly, she felt her legs, stretched her neck and shoulders. Untying her feet, she leaned forward, touching her forehead to her knees. She'd never known the flow of blood through the veins could feel so good, the stretch of muscle such a pleasure. After she'd gotten her limbs moving again she stood, fought the vertigo that surged through her, then stepped very carefully with her arms stretched out until her fingers felt the solid wall in front of her. She took a few deep breaths, brought the wolf from its slumber, wide awake and peering into the dark with preternatural abilities. She looked around. The room was cylindrical, about twenty-five feet across, and at least that high, if not higher. She could see an opening at the top with an iron grate covering it. Willing all the strength the wolf could muster, she jumped straight up, aiming for the opening, but fell short by several feet. The walls were smooth stone, providing no way to climb up. There was a small hole in the middle of the floor, a drain she supposed, to be used as a toilet. As if! She sat down to wait and see what would happen next. She had no idea what they wanted with her, or what they planned to do with her, and she supposed they'd let her know eventually. They did. She heard them long before they got there, and could smell their stench wafting on the air. Standing against the wall, waiting, she heard the grate sliding across the stone and a ladder was lowered through the opening. She considered grabbing the ladder and yanking it down, pulling whoever held it into the hole with her, but she thought they'd probably already considered that possibility and would be ready for her. One of them began the decent, facing out, one paw gripping the rungs, the other gripping a large sword. When he stepped to the floor, he stood in front the

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Rie McGaha ladder so another one could make his descent. When the second one stepped off the ladder, it was pulled up out of the hole. The two werewolves stared at her; she stared back, eyeing them warily. Then the first one became human and told her to make the change so they could talk. He flipped the switch on the flashlight he carried. The second one remained wolf until after she'd made the change to human. The first werewolf stepped forward. "Jessie, how are you?" he asked as if they were sitting down to tea. She didn't answer. "My name is Hodge." He held out his hand, but she refused it. "What do you want with me?" Her voice was stronger than she expected it would be. "Just a little information, Jessie, and then we can all go home," he answered. "I don't know what you think I could tell you," she said and blew out a breath. "You know how the bullets that can kill us are made. All you have to do is tell me." "You're wrong there," she said evenly, "I don't know." A smile curved the corner of his mouth and he looked at the other man. "We think you do, Jessie, and we will find out." He looked back at her pointedly. "One way or the other." "I can't tell you what I don't know," she said with a shrug. "I never asked how they were made." Stepping away from the wall, she looked into the man's eyes. He appeared to be in his sixties. His face was smooth, however, which contrasted sharply with the cold steel of his eyes. She doubted the smile ever reached them and when he leveled a gaze at her, she felt a shiver run down her spine. She knew he could read her mind, so she thought of Josh, thought of sex, thought of her sister dying at the hand of the werewolves that this one knew. Let him read the anger, the

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Blood Line pain, the desire to kill running through her mind, settling itself deep within her heart. "The only thing that interested me was the fact that they could kill the likes of you." She glared at him. He smiled again. "Pretty little Jessie," he said, tugging on the ends of her hair as it spilled down one shoulder, over her breast. He let his gaze run over her body, making no attempt to hide his lust. The curve of his lips was a leer. "In a few days you'll be more than ready to tell me everything you know. And I know that you know. You're strong right now, but in a few days, when you're hungry, when the wolf is clawing at your gut for food, you'll tell me. You've never known hunger, Jessie. You don't know what it is to starve the wolf. I've seen it, experienced it first hand, and believe me, no matter what you think you will never do, when that hunger claws at you, you'll do anything." He stepped into her then, ran his finger along her jaw line. "And I do mean anything to feed that hunger." She jerked away from him. His touch made her shudder the same way seeing a snake in the garden did, except, she thought, the snakes in her garden were much more to her liking. He bellowed out a name. The ladder dropped down the hole again and the two men climbed up. Hodge stopped halfway and turned around, looking down at her with a smirk on his lips. "Jessie, don't be foolish. This doesn't have to be any more difficult than you make it for yourself, and I can make it very easy for you." He ran his tongue over his lips then grinned wide when she shot him a look of disgust. Jessie scanned the confines of her cage, picked up the blanket that had been left for her. She made the change to wolf and ripped a hole in the center of it with one claw. She changed back to human and put her head through the hole so the blanket became a poncho and a covering for her since her only clothing was the shirt she'd had on when they brought her there.

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Rie McGaha She paced a while, wondering what had happened to Josh, wondering if he was alive. She thought perhaps he was—surely, she would know in her heart if he wasn't. Wouldn't she? She wondered if he knew she was alive, if he knew what had happened to her, and if he would be able to find her before it was too late. She didn't know how long it would take to starve the wolf to death, but she didn't think it would take all that long to starve her to death. She was already hungry, hadn't eaten since she'd had dinner at home with Josh and Terri before the whole battle had begun. She wished she knew how long it had been. A few days, perhaps? Longer? She shook her head. It didn't hurt quite so much now that she hadn't been chloroformed in some time, and the effects were wearing off. To keep herself sane, Jessie thought of home. Thought of her flowerbeds, her herb garden, and she smiled just a little. She loved that house, loved living there, loved the peace and quiet of it. She also loved the privacy it gave her and Josh to roam at night, to make love in whatever form they chose. Hugging herself, she slid down the wall to the floor. Though she tried not to cry, the tears slipped down her cheeks as she thought of Josh. How she needed him now. Needed to feel his arms around her, needed to feel his mouth on hers. If she could just hear his voice whispering to her in the night, she would feel so much better. She shut her eyes tightly and prayed he'd find her soon. Jess didn't know how long she stayed in the deep, dark hole. There was no way to mark time other than by sleeping and being awake and there was no way to tell how long she did either of those, anyway. Sometimes she felt as if great amounts of time had passed, but she wasn't sure if it was as long as she'd thought, or if her mind was playing tricks. She exercised some, did push-ups, crunches, stretched and jogged round and round the space. It helped keep her mind off the situation and also quelled the hunger that rose like a demon within her from time to time. When she started

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Blood Line feeling weak from having no nourishment, she'd change into the wolf, hoping the increased mass would keep her alive longer. It worked for periods of time, but the wolf craved blood and it craved sex, both of which were definitely unavailable. Hodge came by every now and then to stand before her, to ask if she was ready to tell him what he needed to know, to ask her if she was ready to eat yet. She'd just stare at him blankly and refuse to answer. The last time he'd come, he brought a tray of hot food with him. Fried chicken, sizzling steak fajitas, hot apple pie, the scents mingling in the stale air of the cave and punching her right in the stomach. She could have killed him right then for even a single bite. He only laughed in her face and told her the only way she got a taste was to give him the information he needed. She'd flipped him off. He laughed again as he climbed back up the ladder, taking the food with him. He had also taken the flashlight with him, leaving her alone in total darkness. A darkness so complete, it pressed against her like a physical force and clawed at her throat as if trying to suffocate her. She made the change to wolf so she'd have some ability to see. Sometime later, maybe a day, maybe more, she sensed the full moon had come again. The force of the moon’s pull upon her body was great, even deep inside the cave, and she was compelled to change into the wolf. She welcomed the familiar stretch within her limbs, her muscles, her face and jaw. The change she underwent on the full moon felt different from the one she willed herself. Much more intense, though not painful now in the way it had been the first time she'd changed. And with the change came a feeling of awareness throughout her body as the full moon compelled her. Compelled her hunger, her lust for blood, for sex. Her desires grew nearly unbearable, maddening in their intensity. And that was, apparently, exactly what Hodge had been waiting for. Hearing the grate move, she peered up, could see him through the

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Rie McGaha opening above her. "Jessie," he called down to her. "Oh, pretty Jessie, how are you feeling tonight?" She heard his laughter echo off the stone walls and reverberate through the chamber. Come down and find out you piece of shit. She heard his laughter again. "Oh, I heard that!" he said. She saw something in his arms, could smell the fear of the human male he held captive, could smell the blood racing through the man's veins. The raw need of hunger rose inside her and she howled. Hodge laughed, made the change to wolf, and ripped the man's throat wide open. Blood dripped onto the stone floor beside her, and then the body landed in a wet thud at her feet. "There you go, Jessie. Bon appétit!" She heard him walk away, his laughter still echoing on the air. She looked down at the body beside her. He was young, perhaps twenty years old, and his blood gave off a sweet, intoxicating scent that swirled through her senses, wrapping a tight fist around her guts. It was all she could do to keep from dropping on him and feasting. Taking deep breaths, she forced herself to turn her back and made the change to human. Wild-eyed as the hunger continued to claw through her, she drooled at the thought of lapping up every last drop of blood, of eating him. She cried, then, and screamed at the top of her lungs. Grabbing the body, she dragged it to the drain in the floor so the blood would run down the hole and not remain where she could see it. Then she sat with her back against the wall, her eyes closed, trying to picture Josh, trying to remember his touch, the feel of his body against hers, his mouth on her mouth, his hard dick inside of her. It was excruciating to think of sex right then, but it brought about a different kind of hunger that took her mind off the man lying on the floor in front of her, of the

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Blood Line warm blood drizzling down the drain. When she’d cried herself out, she laid down with the blanket wrapped around her and slept. She didn't know how long it had been, but when she woke, she dragged the dead body to the opposite side of the space and turned it so its face was toward the wall and not looking at her. Back to her own side of the space, she curled into the blanket again. Waking with her body vibrating and stretching, she knew it was still night, still a full moon, and the force of the moon was causing the change once more. She didn't try to fight it, but flung the shirt and blanket off so they didn't get ruined, and continued lying there with her eyes closed as the change took place. A few moments later, she heard Hodge again. She cursed him silently, heard his laughter as he read her thoughts. Then he dropped another body into the hole with her. She heard a moan and couldn't resist the urge to look. He wasn't dead yet, but the young man was bleeding profusely and several of his bones had been broken in the fall—or maybe by Hodge, she didn't know for sure. He was in agony and the scent of his fresh blood was enough to have her on her knees beside him, drooling, wanting him. Just a taste. Just a small taste won't hurt anything. She threw back her head and howled, trying to draw strength from deep within herself. Reaching out with both hands, she twisted the man's head, heard his neck snap, and knew he was dead and would feel no more pain. A humane action, she told herself. The least she could do for him. Unfortunately, she still felt enough pain for them both. Resisting the urge to feast drained her, but she managed to drag him over to the middle of the floor so his blood would disappear from her sight. She sat back heavily on her haunches, felt the muscles in her stomach quivering, the blood in her veins burning like fire, so intense was the desire to taste him, to devour his flesh. Forcing herself back to her human form, she put on

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Rie McGaha the shirt, wrapped the blanket around her and sat back. Exhausted from the lack of food, she inhaled slowly, deeply. She curled up on the floor and forced her eyes closed. Eventually, she slept. Sleep was her only ally and she tried to do it as often as possible. In sleep, Josh was with her, holding her, smiling at her, kissing her lips. In sleep, she was home with him where she belonged. In sleep, this dark hole was the nightmare and Josh was reality. Just before sunrise, Hodge threw two bodies down to her, both alive, neither bleeding, but their legs were broken from the fall. There were other injuries, as well, and the smell of their fear and pain almost did her in. Hodge was forcing her to kill them herself, knew she couldn't allow them to continue suffering. She felt their fear rise beyond the level of sheer panic as they groped in the darkness, trying to get their bearings. When one of them found her fur-covered hand, he screamed, which set the other one to screaming, as well. Her sensitive ears unable to bear the sound, she broke their necks quickly and piled them on top of the other two bodies. Thankfully, these two hadn’t been bleeding when they fell to the floor. There was no fresh blood to contend with, but she could still smell their blood humming just beneath their skin. The scent was spicy, tangy, and as sweet as nectar to her. Her need to feed so sharp in her mind that she thought she'd die from sheer desire, she once again forced herself back to human form. She wrapped herself in the blanket and swore she'd remain human no matter what happened next. It was easier to resist the scent of blood that way, even though hunger still burned her stomach. She was losing weight rapidly now, hadn't had a shower in, well, she didn't know how long, and between the stench of her own body and the pile of corpses on the floor, she didn't know which was worse. She thought of Josh, hummed some of her favorite songs, made a vow that

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Blood Line she would remain human, and die right there in the pit before she'd give Hodge the satisfaction of seeing her eat one of her own kind. Drifting into sleep slowly, she found Josh waiting for her there. Funny, but he was different this time. He wasn't caressing her body, wasn't kissing her lips, and wasn’t even looking at her. She watched him as he ran through the forest as the wolf, tall and sleek, and it sent a shiver through her. He had a backpack hoisted over his shoulders, and she could read his thoughts, knew he was thinking of her, and knew he was getting closer to her. She smiled and reached for him, but he disappeared as she sank into the sweet oblivion of sleep. Chapter Seventeen The weapons were loaded onto the boat, the crates that held them innocuous as the three men worked to get the job done as quickly as possible. They'd made the drive to Grand Bay early that morning where the boat had been waiting. The galley had been stocked, the boxes of ammunition loaded below decks. They were ready to leave and Josh still had no idea where they were going. Garan's friend had driven them to the dock, dropped them off, and then jumped back into his Escalade and drove away. Garan would captain the boat, and Josh would act as first mate. Josh raised his eyebrows at that, since he'd never been on a boat other than a bass boat on the lake. He'd never sailed on an ocean-going vessel. They made their way out of the bay into the Gulf of Mexico, and toward the Bahamas. "Now, do you mind filling me in on our destination?" Josh asked. "For now, we're going to meet another friend of mine at Andros Island, transfer to a cargo plane and get this show on the road. I told you it's a long trip since we can't exactly walk through Customs. This damned homeland security is a pain in the ass and we have to go about this in a round-about way. Our

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Rie McGaha destination is in the Carpathian Mountains; getting there without getting caught is the trick." Josh blew out a low whistle. "Carpathian Mountains," he repeated. "I don't even think I know where that is." "I know. We've got a long trip ahead of us and there's a lot I need to tell you now that we're alone." Josh settled himself in a folding chair, cigarette in one hand, bottle of Coke in the other. He stared out across the ocean, took a drag, inhaled deeply. "Go for it." "I can't say exactly why Hodge is keeping Jess alive unless she's just a lot tougher than he expected, which means she hasn't talked yet. But she is still alive. Or, at least, as of three this morning she was. When you started killing werewolves with bullets, you pissed a lot of them off. Until you began killing them, all bullets did was irritate, much like a bee sting. But you're bullets destroyed. They want to know how that's possible—how to make them—and that is knowledge they will do anything to have. You must never tell another soul, no one, ever. If that secret ever gets out, there'll be hell to pay for everyone. "Hodge found that they couldn't beat you in a fight, so he kept sending more in after you. When that didn't work, he decided the only way to beat you was to get the formula for the bullets. He couldn't get to you, and even if he did, he didn't figure you'd tell him anything, so he went after Jessie. He's old and he thought a woman would tell him what he wanted to know immediately. A little torture, a few promises, he figured she'd tell him in short order and then he'd take her head. From what I hear, she's caused him a lot of frustration, but she hasn't told him anything." Josh smiled at the thought of Jessie. Knowing her, she'd never give up any information, no matter what that asshole did. He stared out across the ocean and lit another cigarette, then said, “She sure had a way of making me want to strangle her and kiss her, all at the same time. And she loves me! I can just

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Blood Line imagine the grief she's giving Hodge." "And it's the trouble she's giving him that makes him want you to come after her. He knows Ganda told you, but no one in their right mind would even attempt to go after her. So, you're his last option. He can't make Jessie tell him anything, but he figures he can use her to make you tell him how to make the bullets deadly to werewolves." Garan paused, took a long drink of his coffee. "Josh." Garan's face was grim. "This is to the death, boy. Once we get to Eastern Europe, they’ll know we're there, and there won't be any going back. I know your answer already, but I have to ask, anyway. Are you ready for this?" Josh nodded. "I don't know how ready I am, but I know there's no going back. Not now, not ever, not until I have Jessie back. I don't care who I have to kill to get to her, werewolves, or humans, for that matter. If they stand between me and Jess, they're going to die." Garan drained his coffee cup. "All right. We're going in through Italy. I have friends there who will help us, and give us everything we need to across the border. Once we're across, we'll have help getting into the mountains. It's a long trip by land, and it'll be dangerous, but there's no other choice. There are few trails, the going is steep, and the gorges are deep. Even for us, it's going to be rough." "Sounds like fun," Josh said dryly and tossed the cigarette butt overboard. "Once we get to Italy, we'll cross from Otranto to Albania. From there, it'll get rougher as we get into Macedonia and Bulgaria. We're headed to a small town in Romania near the Ukraine border called Cirlibaba, where we'll obtain pack animals. Once we head into the Carpathian Mountains, we'll be pretty much on our own." "Piece of cake," Josh said. He shook another cigarette from the pack and stuck it between his lips, but he didn't light it. Instead, he stared off into the distance, his thoughts on Jessie, sending up a prayer she'd remain safe.

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Rie McGaha ***** Jess always did want to take a trip to Italy, Josh thought as they loaded another boat near the town of Otranto. It was a beautiful country and when this was all over with, he'd make sure she got the trip she wanted. They'd take a long vacation, a second honeymoon—okay a first honeymoon since they'd never really had one when they'd gotten married—whatever she wanted, wherever she wanted. It didn't matter; she would have it all. He felt tears welling up and blinked them back. A slash of panic shot through him. Their house! She was going to kill him for burning down their house! He'd buy her a new one, build her a new one, anything she wanted. Never had he known such absolute grief and loss in his whole life. Not even the death of his father had caused him such despair. He'd been devastated when he'd seen his wife die. No—he shook his head—when he thought he had seen her die. Even knowing now that she was alive, he could still feel the pain he'd experienced when he'd thought she was dead. He had folded in on himself. It was a strange feeling to know that his strength had lain in his love for Jessie; remove her from the equation and he had no idea who he was. He'd been in love with her since he was seventeen and all that he knew about being a man, about who he was, about life and love and happiness, was directly related to his relationship with her. But she was alive and he was on his way to get her—and God help anyone who got in his way. They glided smoothly across the channel to Albania, loaded the weapons into a wagon, pulled the tarp over the crates and jumped on board. Garan spoke Italian fluently, and, apparently, every other language in existence. He spoke at length with the other men, and paid them in gold. Garan looked at Josh. "Fourteen." Josh wrinkled his brow. "Fourteen what?"

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Blood Line "Languages. I speak fourteen languages. Of course, I've had a lot of time to learn them. In a few hundred years, you'll be looking for anything new to do, as well. There are as many disadvantages to living forever as there are advantages." "Is mind reading one of them?" "Yeah, you'll get the hang of that, too. Eventually," Garan said and grinned. The country was beautiful, but rugged. The deeply forested terrain had little more than narrow trails weaving around and through the trees. The wagon rolled slowly through the cuts, bumping over sticks and rocking through ruts. Garan and Josh chose to walk much of the way rather than risk biting their tongues off with their rattling teeth. At the rate they were going, Josh was sure it would take months to reach Romania. They continued the journey long into the night before they reached a small village. He and Garan remained with the wagon as their guides went inside the inn to inquire about a room. "Josh, the full moon is tomorrow night. I no longer am compelled to change, but I know you are. We'll have to leave our guides here, and go on our own. It's too risky, otherwise. Stories of werewolves run deep around here, and we just can't allow anyone to see you when you change. Remember the old werewolf movies?" Josh nodded. "Remember those scenes where the villagers crashed through the night with torches, trying to kill the werewolves? That stuff actually happens around here." "You're kidding." Josh laughed in disbelief. "Wish I was. This is an old country, steeped in tradition. You might see a lot of modern technology in some of the bigger cities, but the smaller villages have remained much the way they were several hundred years ago. If anyone

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Rie McGaha was to see you after you changed, neither of us would get out of here without causing a panic. And we don't need that shit right now." Josh nodded. They definitely didn't need to draw any attention to their presence here. "Why don't you and Ganda change with the moon anymore?" "Ganda never did. Remember, she's not mortal. Her mother was a witch and her father a wolf. It's a different set of rules for her than the rest of you. And I have never been mortal since I was born a wolf, like my brother. Made by him. Ariel’s people cursed him and the curse was passed on through him to those that are made only if they have human blood in their veins to begin with. As for me, having been a wolf to begin with, what he passed on to me was the ability to be like him; to appear human, to have the abilities of the werewolf, but I am pure wolf. The curse was passed on as well, but there are those of us who, after centuries, were no longer compelled when the moon was full. I don't know if it's just a matter of age, or if it's a matter of strength of will simply caused by living for so long." He shrugged. “Eventually, if you keep your head through this, you will not be compelled to change, either. It happens slowly, over a period of time, but it happens to all of us.” The guides returned to tell them there were rooms with hot showers available for everyone. Garan nodded and told the men to go ahead and relax. After they left, Josh went to get a shower, and Garan stayed with the wagon, and made sure the animals were seen to. After his shower, Josh ordered meals for himself and Garan and took a tray outside. They sat on the back of the wagon and ate in silence. At length, Garan said, "Get some sleep Josh. We leave before dawn."

***** They traveled for days, mostly in wolf form, the moon having compelled Josh to make the change that first night. He'd taken advantage of the situation

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Blood Line and raced ahead, checking out the trail, the villages, and the lay of the land. Garan finally joined him and changed into the wolf. They used the wagon mostly as a cover to hide who they really were, but once they reached a deeply forested area, they were much more efficient traveling as wolves. And travel, they did—hard—for the next nine days, until they finally reached the village of Cirlibaba in Romania at the foothills of the Carpathian Mountains. The mountain range they now faced claimed its highest peek as being just over eight thousand feet, but the terrain was some of the most rugged in the world, with chasms that plummeted over half-a-mile deep. Even a werewolf would be hard-pressed to recuperate from such a fall. There were no roads or trails up the steep face of the mountain, the forests were thick and the craggy terrain would make the going slow. They donned specially made backpacks that would allow them to carry their weapons on their backs as long as they remained wolves. The packs were more like heavy-duty vests that came over their shoulders with wide flaps that covered several different sized pockets in the front. The backs of the packs were oversized compartments that held the claymores, and had specially designed sheaths that held each man's twin swords in an “X” beneath the pack area, leaving the grips sticking up over their shoulders for easy access. The front had individual compartments that held four grenade-type weapons, as well as compartments for bottled water, and a few snack bars in case they didn't want to take time out to hunt. Each pack had an inside compartment made of netted material with a zipper where they had folded a pair of gym shorts and a T-shirt for when they changed into human form. The loads were heavy and bulky, and it would take all the strength they could press from themselves to make it to their destination. "Do you know where we're going?" Josh had made the change to man, but even with his enhanced strength, the packs were too heavy to lift as a mere human. "Damn, this weighs a ton!"

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Rie McGaha Garan pulled the strap and tied the pack securely. "Yeah, I know where I'm going. More or less." "That doesn't sound too reassuring," Josh said, raising a brow. "I was here many, many years ago. It was a beautiful place back then. I hope it hasn't changed, but I'm afraid the ravage of time has probably ruined it. It's the only place Hodge would have felt safe enough to take Jessie. And the only place I can think of that he would be able to hold her with any amount of success. It has a dungeon. I imagine that's where she is. Besides, Ganda told me that's where they are." He laughed and made the change. "Ass," Josh muttered and as he changed, he hefted the pack into place and cinched the strap around his waist. It was still heavy, even for a wolf, and incredibly bulky. They didn't have their usual grace and only a fraction of their normal speed, but they still moved much faster than they would have, had they packed up the mountain by horse or mule. Garan led the way through the dense growth. They went up at an angle to make the journey somewhat easier, but it was still painfully slow, especially for two wolves who would have otherwise traversed the terrain on all fours, able to cover ground in leaps and bounds. When they finally reached an area where the forest gave way, they stood looking down the rocky chasm, which seemed to have no bottom. In the opposite direction was a nearly perpendicular wall of stone. Josh sat down and released the pack, became human once again. Garan did the same. "What now?" Garan shrugged. "Down and across. We'll walk along the floor of the ravine, then go up the other side. We'll come up on the backside of the castle and go around the east wall. We'll start setting the claymores there with trip wires and leave them along the path. I don't know how many of his clan he has with him, or how far we'll get before they know we're here. They might know already, even with Ganda's help. It's hard to tell."

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Blood Line "What do you mean? What help from Ganda?" Garan shook his head. "Are you just thick-headed?" "I don't think so. Maybe you just don't explain things clearly enough." "Okay, I'll say this real slow. Ganda's mother, Ariel, was a witch, and that makes Ganda half witch. She does possess certain powers the rest of us will never have, can never have, because it comes through her blood. The only one Ganda ever made was Colin. She's never passed her gift on to another, because she's seen what it does, and because of the pain it's caused her. Ganda is different from the rest of us, and she still possesses her powers as a witch. She cast a protection spell upon both of us, but upon you especially. You're special to her for some reason that I can't figure out. Just how do you think you survived all of those attacks?" Josh tilted his head, thought about it. "I fought my ass off!" Garan's laughter was gentle. "Yes, you did, but you survived because she wouldn't allow you to die. She couldn't protect Jessie the way she did you because she didn't know you had made her. She told me that the two of you had discussed when she'd made Colin and you had said you wouldn't do it to Jess. She believed you, and she's rarely wrong." "I didn't do it." Josh sighed heavily. "She tricked me into it after I refused to turn her." Garan studied him for a moment. "Strong-willed women are the death of most men." "Yeah," Josh agreed, and took the last drag from his cigarette, crushed it out on a rock, and field-stripped it. He looked around at the rugged beauty of the mountain range; it was enough to take your breath away. He looked down at himself, then at Garan. Both of them were buck-naked, and it seemed the most natural thing in the world. Making the change, both men adjusted their packs before they started the steep descent down the ravine.

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Rie McGaha Chapter Eighteen They set the first claymore when they reached the top of the ravine on the eastern side of the castle. They ran the trip wire across the path and secured it to a stake they'd driven into the ground. Working quickly, now, they made their way along the trail, so close to Jessie, Josh could feel her in every cell of his being. He had to fight to keep his mind clear, to not let his feelings for her cloud his judgment. He couldn't allow himself to panic, to worry, or to let his love for her get in the way of good judgment. If he did, they'd all die. Farther down the trail, they set up another claymore, then headed eastward over the rocky mountain. Back in the forest, they set up another claymore a few yards into the trees. They circled several miles east, then south and finally back to the west, ending up due south of where Garan had said the entrance to the castle was located. There, they began laying claymores several hundred feet apart, staying in the tree line as they approached the castle. When they were finally close enough to see the full view of the structure, Josh was stunned. The face of the castle had been carved out of the rocky mountain. When they'd climbed the ravine, they'd been on top of the castle itself. It was a formidable structure, and nothing short of a nuclear blast was going to breach the fortress before them. They continued along the tree line until it ended, a quarter mile from the entrance. If they tried to traverse the distance by day, they’d be spotted instantly. Garan motioned to Josh and the two of them went deeper into the forest, until they found a safe place to sit and return to their human form. "What do we do now?" Josh found his gym shorts and put them on. Garan checked the pack, put on his shorts and began rearranging the contents. "Wait for nightfall, and then we attack." "I've never seen anything like this place. It's amazing." Garan nodded. "Werewolves had lived here for centuries, safe from those

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Blood Line who would hunt them down. If any did come this far, it was easy enough to be rid of them. But like all else, time changes everything. The twentieth century was a marvel in more ways than you might think, especially the latter half. After Hollywood began making movies about monsters and things that go bump in the night, people stopped believing in those things as being real, and believed they were made-up stories. We finally knew a time of peace that we hadn’t known since the early days. Well, not really like the early days. You should have been there for that, Josh. We were gods; it was a great time to be a wolf." Josh gave him an impatient look. "Anyway," Garan said, "after Hollywood made us into make-believe creatures, people quit hunting us down altogether and we were able to walk the earth again with a freedom we hadn't known in centuries. This place was abandoned, as it was no longer needed for protection. It's been vacant for decades, as far as I know." "Until now," Josh said. "What do we do when it gets dark?" Garan used a stick and drew a diagram in the dirt. "This is the castle entrance. It opens into a large entryway that lets into the great room. To the right is the kitchens, just past that is the grand dining hall. Straight ahead is a staircase that leads to the chambers on the upper floors. Left of the stairs is a library, and back toward the entryway is the parlor. Under the staircase is where you will go. There's a door there, it leads into a tunnel deep in the belly of the mountain, then down another set of stairs to another tunnel. That one leads deeper still and dead-ends at a hole in the floor. The hole is covered with an iron grill. It's deep, probably thirty or thirty-five feet to the bottom. It was made that way so that no wolf could manage to jump high enough to reach the grate and escape. It's an oubliette—a place of forgetting. It's the only place they'd be able to keep Jessie where she couldn't escape. It's dark, it's cool, and there's no way out. "Getting her out of the hole won't be difficult; getting to her will be the trick. And you need to be prepared for the very real possibility that she's been 171

Rie McGaha starved." Josh's eyes turned cold. "What do you mean?" Garan had saved this information until now because he knew Josh would freak out when he heard it, and Garan had needed him to be calm. Taking a deep breath, he blew it out and looked at Josh. “First, I need you to keep your head, Joshua. We are this close—,” he said, holding up his hand, thumb and forefinger a breath apart, “—to getting inside or getting killed. I want to get inside and I know you do, too. For Jessie's sake. They want information from her that she’s been loathe to divulge. They'll have tried to convince her to talk, and starvation will be one of the tactics they'd think to use. You can starve a human female to death in little enough time, but starving a werewolf is another matter. You've never seen a starving werewolf, Josh, and I hope to God you never do. It happened a few times in the old days when a werewolf was actually captured by humans and left to starve. They go wild, and become pure animal. They'll do anything for flesh, any flesh, human or animal. And Hodge will have thought of this, thought to use such a tactic to get Jessie to tell him what he wants to know. He'll starve her until she can't take it, until she's ready to eat her own arm." Garan paused for breath then went on. "I'm sorry, but it's happened. You have to be ready for the worst, Josh. We don't know what condition she's in now. Plus, he'll be able to justify killing her later if she's starved to the point of eating human flesh. Once that happens, you'll never know her again, Josh. She'll be lost to you. She'll have no humanity left; she'll be pure animal. A ravenous beast that'll roam at night hunting humans, feeding on their flesh. If that's happened, it's better to end it for her now than wait until she loses her head at the hand of another werewolf. I'll do it if you can't." Josh jumped to his feet, his hands clenched in fists at his side. "You sonofabitch! I don't care what she is, you don't touch her!" Josh stood face-to-face with Garan. "No one touches my wife! No one!"

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Blood Line "Back off, Josh," Garan said very calmly. "I'm not the enemy, so save it for the ones inside the castle." Josh took several deep breaths, flexed his fingers, curling them in and out of his palms. He took a step back, and then sat on the ground. "Sorry, lost my head, I guess." "Yeah, and we can't let that happen again. Once we go in, you have to stay calm, keep your head together, or you'll lose it for real. This isn't a drill Josh; it's the real thing. One moment's hesitation, one moment of panic or doubt, and we all lose." Josh nodded and scrubbed his face. "How long until we go in?" "Another hour, maybe less. It gets dark quick up here once the sun sets. Arrange your pack so that when we go in you have easy access to the grenades. I have an idea that may help us, depending on how many of them there are, how they're set up. We have to go in quietly, and play things by ear. And since they can read your thoughts, don't have any! Sing, recite poetry, say your ABC's. I don't care, just think of some way to block your thoughts or they won't need to do anything but read your mind to know the formula. Jessie has obviously been able to block her thoughts from them, since they don't already have it." "Well, I never could understand her, I doubt anyone else can, either," Josh murmured, attempted to smile at the joke, but barely managed. "That's it. You just keep that up and werewolves will be the least of your worries when Jess finds out!" Josh did smile then, and replied softly, "Yeah." "Okay, this is what we'll do . . . ."

***** Josh stashed his backpack in the underbrush and ran through the dark forest, golden wolf eyes guiding him through the dense overgrowth, under

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Rie McGaha limbs, and over rocks until he was back where they had set up the first claymore. He pulled a large, heavy branch from a tree and tossed it. It landed on the trip wire, but Josh was already running toward the second claymore when the explosion echoed down the ravine. He by-passed the second claymore and detonated the third. Then he waited. It didn't take long before he heard the sound of running werewolves crashing through the forest, then the sound of the second claymore detonating. He couldn't see the results from where he was hiding, but he could smell the acrid scent of burning flesh and hair on the night air. He could see the brilliant light through the trees as bodies ignited. He ran on, slow enough for the one's who'd escaped the claymore blasts to follow his scent. He led them down the path he wanted them to follow until he came to the fourth claymore. Leaping over the trip wire, he ran at full speed to distance himself enough so shrapnel wouldn’t catch him. The explosion reverberated in his sensitive ears, but he didn't slow down. He could tell they were still back there, pursuing him, but there were only four or five werewolves behind him now. Diving under the brush and through the thick growth of trees to where he'd left the backpack, he stuck his arms through and humped it onto his back, quickly cinching the strap around his waist. He stuck his paws in the front pouch and brought out a specially designed grenade. He ran back through the woods, past the tree line and into open air. The werewolves weren't far behind; he heard the blast of the final claymore and headed for the castle. There were still two werewolves chasing him, so he lobbed the grenade and dove for a retaining wall that followed the walkway to the castle entrance. The explosion rang in his ears, and fireballs shot into the air as the werewolves died. Josh shook his head and came to his feet just as the front door of the castle buckled and blew out of its frame, smashing into him. Flat of his back with pieces of the door on top of him, he lay stunned for a moment, and then rose up

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Blood Line and pushed the pieces of stone from his body. Howling into the night, he rushed through the opening. The entry hall was in shambles, and he had to push his way through the destruction into the great room. Smoke and dust filled the air, filled his nostrils, and he blinked the grit from his eyes. Another explosion sounded from above. Garan must be on the second floor. Making his way over the broken pieces of stone to the back of the stairs, Josh found the door to the dungeon. He opened it slowly, peering into the blackness with preternatural vision and acute wolf hearing to determine if any danger lay ahead. Sensing nothing, he made his way down the tunnel, which seemed endless in its descent into the mountain, until he finally reached stairs that went deeper still. He took each step as silently as possible, waiting, listening, and then continued down another tunnel. The inky blackness pressed down on him, as tangible as a blanket being wrapped around him. Josh resisted his natural human response to the claustrophobia he felt welling up inside, and continued down the hall. His ears perked for sounds from behind, or any indication of a live being ahead of him. Then, suddenly, he caught the scent of death, of dead, of rotting flesh, and he almost came undone. He sniffed again, catching a subtle, softer scent beneath the stench of death. His heart slammed in his chest. Jessie. Stopping, he took a deep breath. He couldn't lose his cool now, he had to stay in complete control and not let his all-too-real human emotions wash over him. He continued, step-by-step, quelling the desire to rush to her. To hold her. Suddenly, he caught a very different scent on the air, and he froze. Werewolf. He could feel the being ahead of him, could identify the scent over that of Jessie's as it mixed with hers. He moved cautiously forward, reaching over his head and drawing the swords from the sheaths on his back. A dim light shone up ahead, growing larger and brighter as he crept silently through the tunnel. A werewolf loomed in the torchlight, a Scottish broadsword held in both 175

Rie McGaha its hands. The grate covering lay between them. So close to Jessie, it was all Josh could do to keep his wits. Her scent assaulted his senses and the man inside him ached deep in his soul. Josh pushed his feelings aside; he couldn't help her if he allowed emotion to sweep over him now. He advanced, taking one measured step at a time. The sword in his right paw brandished a forty-eight inch blade; the one in his left was thirty-six inches long. He positioned his body forward, the blades held in front of him, and he moved them in a slow, double figure-eight motion. The other werewolf was on the defensive, moved so that he was standing with his body sideways, left shoulder forward, his right paw gripping the sword against the hilt of the weapon, and his left one gripped tightly beneath the right. He held the sword over his right shoulder, the blade angled above his head, ready for the attack. Josh moved in, swinging his swords rapidly before him, closer and closer to the werewolf in front of him. The werewolf swung, and the sound of steel reverberated on the air as the swords clashed together. They parried, stepped away from one another, parried again, deflected, blocked. Josh took a step back with his right leg, and the werewolf lunged at him. Josh deflected the blow with his right, swung with the left and slashed the werewolf across the chest. The beast howled as blood poured in a stream over his stomach, and then he attacked again. Thrusting with the right, Josh brought the left down hard as he felt the other werewolf's sword pierce his stomach. He ignored the wound, used the pain to his advantage. Taking another step back, he swung the sword in his right paw over his head while the left one slashed to the right and caught the werewolf's arm between the wrist and elbow. His sword hit the stone floor as blood poured from the stump of his arm. The severed portion of the arm burst into flames. Josh pivoted right on the ball of his foot, bringing the right sword close to his body,

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Blood Line then three-quarters of the way around he snapped his right arm straight out and used the force of motion to swing the blade around. He watched as it sliced neatly through the werewolf's throat, saw the surprise in the animal's eyes and watched as the head fell to the floor. It smoked, the body crumpled, and Josh stood back as both burst into flames. Covering his eyes, he kicked the burning head away from the grate, and then grabbed the heavy iron with both hands. He hauled the lid from the hole and slid it over the stone floor. Then he dropped the backpack, pulled a rope from one of the pouches and dropped it down the hole. "Jessie!" He made the change to human form as he shouted into the darkness. He could sense her there, but she didn't answer him. "Jessie, it's me, Josh. Baby, take the rope, I'll pull you up!" He listened intently, but heard nothing. "Dammit," he muttered under his breath. Okay, okay, Josh, think! Becoming wolf once again, he moved the heavy grate back over the hole, but only a quarter of the way. It was solid iron and would hold the wolf’s weight, and it was larger than the hole, so it wouldn't fall in on top of him. He tied the rope to the grate and let himself down into the darkness, holding a flashlight in his teeth. Josh could see dark figures lying against the wall of the stone pit, and the smell of decay was nearly overwhelming, but then he saw a single figure on the opposite wall. Jessie. She was in human form. Josh made the change to human, turned on the flashlight and knelt beside her. Her back was to him, so he reached for her and turned her toward him. "Oh, Jess." His voice caught when he saw his wife's face. Her eyes were shut, sunken into their sockets. Her pale skin was a garish shade of gray, her lips ashen. Feeling her body for injuries, he found nothing serious, but she was impossibly thin. Her skin was stretched over nothing but skeleton. She was dirty, her hair hadn’t been brushed and lay tangled around her 177

Rie McGaha face. And she had never looked better to him. Knowing he had to get her out quickly, he pulled the dirty shirt she wore around her, and then wrapped her body in the blanket he found on the floor. Lifting her gently into his arms, he made the change to wolf, carried her to the rope and carefully put her over his shoulder. Then he pulled them both up to the top. He held onto the edge of the stone opening with one big paw and with the other, he shoved Jessie through the hole onto the floor above, and then hauled himself up beside her. She hadn't made a sound. He became human again and felt her pulse; it was weak and thready, and he knew she was barely hanging on to the life within her. Wolf once again, the backpack in place, he carefully lifted Jessie’s fragile body into his arms and made his way quickly down the hall to the stairs. Ascending them as quickly as possible, he tried not to jar her unnecessarily. Once he reached the top, he practically ran down the next tunnel and hit the door with his shoulder. He looked out, checking to make sure the way was clear, before he brought her out from under the stairwell into the destroyed great hall. He shifted her weight to one arm, took a grenade from the front pouch and held it ready, just in case. Garan’s whereabouts were still unknown, but Josh didn't really care at that moment. His only thought was how very close Jessie was to dying in his arms. He had to help her. Making his way into the forest, to the small clearing where he and Garan had sat earlier waiting for darkness to fall, he made the change to human and laid Jessie gently on the ground beside him. He let himself out of the backpack, and then rummaged through it until he found a bottle of water. Holding it to Jessie's lips, he forced her to take a small sip. Most of it dribbled down her cheek, but he saw her swallow reflexively. He forced a little more into her mouth and she took it. He wished he had soup or broth or something; she needed to eat. She

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Blood Line needed . . . fresh meat. Josh quickly made the change to wolf. He left Jessie's side for a moment, returning with a freshly killed rabbit. He nipped the rabbit’s fur, made a hole, and then with his thumb, he pushed through its flesh until blood flowed to the surface. He held the dripping blood to Jessie's lips, squeezing to pump the stillwarm fluid into her mouth. She sputtered at first, spit most of the thick, red liquid out, but Josh forced her mouth open a bit more and squeezed more blood into her. She swallowed once, then again. Josh continued to squeeze and Jessie drank. Reaching up slowly with one hand, she grasped his wrist. Her grip was weak, but she held on. Then her head fall back and her body shuddered. With what must have been the last resources of her strength, she made the change to wolf. She sat up on her haunches, took the rabbit in both hands, and devoured it. When she finished, she laid back down with her eyes still closed, breathing heavily. Josh ran into the forest, found a yearling buck, broke its neck and brought it to her. He laid it beside her, ripped the skin to make it easier for her to reach the flesh, and she began to feed. When she could eat no more, he devoured the rest of the meat and then lifted her to him. As he held her close, he could feel the changes taking place in her body. Muscles rippled beneath her fur, and her heartbeat grew stronger beneath his hand. Then he felt her breathing regulate, becoming slow, steady and deep as her lungs filled. The wolf healed quickly, regenerated quickly, and became stronger before his eyes. She sat up on her own, turned toward him, and he saw the flicker in her eyes as she made the change to human. He changed as well and gathered her into his arms. He cried against her hair, and her tears ran over his bare shoulder. They held each other for very long time, and then she pushed away from him and looked into his eyes. He looked at her in the dim morning light, and their lips crushed together.

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Rie McGaha "Jess, oh God! Jessie, I love you," he said against her mouth. "I thought you were dead. I thought I had lost you forever." "I love you, I love you, I love you," she said. "Do you feel all right? Are you going to be okay? Tell me what else I can do." "You're doing it. You're all I need." "I'm so sorry, Jessie," he said between kisses. He couldn't quit kissing her. "Josh, please, just take me home," she said against his throat. He stopped cold and looked into her eyes, as a slow grin spread across his face. "Um, Jess, about that. I sort of burned it down." "You what?" "I burned it down," he said, grinning sheepishly. "How could you burn our house down?" "Come on, Jess. Houses burn down, no one knows why." He looked at the ground, trying to hide a smile. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly against him. She struggled, but he held her tighter. He started laughing as she wriggled one arm free and began hitting him on the back. The more she hit him, the louder he laughed, until he was laying back and she was on top of him. "Okay, funny man," she said and held his wrists. "I am not amused!" He continued laughing until an explosion sobered them both. "Garan!" Josh shot to his feet. "Stay right here." Josh grabbed his swords and made the change to wolf. He raced through the forest across the rocky terrain to the castle. Stopping dead in his tracks, he watched as Garan ran out of the fortress, past Josh, motioning for him to follow. They barely made the forest's edge when an explosion rocked the mountainside. The earth shook with such force the castle imploded, and with one final convulsion, the mountain began to slide into the ravine and disappeared. Jessie reached them just as they'd made the change to man. Garan looked at her, gaped and then must have realized he was naked, because he became 180

Blood Line wolf again almost immediately. Josh laughed. "Garan, this is Jessie. Jessie, Garan." "What did you do?" Jess said to Josh as she shook the silver wolf's paw. "It was him," Josh said quickly and pointed at Garan. "Jess, turn your back so the man can find some pants." Jess turned and Josh rummaged through Garan's backpack, found a pair of khaki shorts and Garan became man. He hastily put on the shorts, and then cleared his throat. Jess turned to face him. "It's nice to meet you, Jessie. I destroyed the castle so it can never again be used the way it was today. Hodge got away, Josh. I'm sorry." "That's okay. We'll get him later. Right now, I want to get the hell out of here. I want to take my wife home." Jess shot him a sideways glance. "Okay, I want to take her to Ganda's until we figure out where we'll live." Garan grinned. "Sounds like a plan to me. We'll make better time going down than we did coming up. Especially if we go down in wolf form. I can't wait to get home, myself. You feeling up to it, Jessie?" She wrapped her arms around Josh, and nodded. "I'm up to it." The three of them made the change, and once Josh and Garan had their nearly empty backpacks in place, they started down the mountain. ***** They were in Italy before they stopped and became human again. They slipped into their clothing, and then went to find a hotel. Jessie just wanted a hot shower, a long bath, lots of soap and water. And food. Lots and lots of food. Josh ordered room service for her while she went into the bathroom. "Josh," Garan said as Jess shut the bathroom door, "I want you and Jessie to stay here a few days then fly back home. I'll take care of the rest of the weapons and we'll meet up at Ganda's in a few weeks. There are tickets waiting

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Rie McGaha for you at the airport whenever you're ready to leave, and I have your passports here and some cash." He handed Josh the documents. "What are you going to do?" "I have some things to tend to. Don't worry about me. You just take care of your wife and the two of you relax for a few days. Ganda will expect you in a week or so." He shook Josh's hand. "Give my love to Jess." He left the hotel room and Josh went into the bathroom to tell Jess Garan had gone. She was lying in a tub full of bubbles, her head back, eyes closed. He'd never seen her look so lovely. Sitting on the edge of the tub, he said, "I love you." "I know." She took his hand, opened her eyes and smiled at him. Then, with one quick tug, she pulled him into the tub with her. Water splashed over the sides, causing a flood in the floor. Her mouth came down quickly on his and he forgot everything else. They made love in the bathtub, and then moved into the bedroom. The knock on the door had Josh growling as he climbed from the bed to answer. He tipped the bellhop and brought the tray inside, leaving the food on the table as he dove onto the bed with Jess. They spent hours getting reacquainted, making love, talking of the future, and making plans for the new house they'd build. They sat naked on the bed, eating the food that had gone cold, and Josh couldn't quit touching her, making sure she was real. He was amazed at the depths of the love she felt for him, that he felt for her. And they both knew the future was theirs, whatever they chose to make of it. If it lasted a week, or ten thousand years, it was a future they were both more than ready to face. Chapter Nineteen Ganda sat in her rocker on the veranda with a cup of honey-sweetened tea

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Blood Line laced with just a dollop of whiskey. The whiskey eased the aches in her bones and the honey smoothed the taste of the whiskey. A breeze blew through the swamp, the Spanish moss swayed while the bugs buzzed out one long song. Humidity hung thick on the air and the sun blared brightly, making Ganda's back porch feel more like a sauna, but she didn’t mind. She was expecting guests and a smile played across her lips. Sipping her tea, she thought of Josh, so in love with Jessie, and it reminded her of Colin. Colin had loved her with all his heart and soul, had accepted her both as witch and as wolf, and she’d never known such happiness before—or since. Josh was much like Colin, she thought, and that brought a full smile to face. Taking a deep breath, she rose from her chair, leaning on her cane for support as she made her way down to the store. Joshua and Jessie had arrived. "Ganda," Josh said with grin as he hugged the old woman tightly to him. A lump formed in his throat as held her small frame against his larger one. It was good to be back. "I want you to meet my wife, Jessie," he said when he finally released her. "I'm so glad to finally meet you, Ganda. Josh has told me so much about you," Jessie said and offered her hand to the old woman. Ganda smiled and lifted a crooked hand to Jessie’s cheek instead. "You did just fine, Jessie. And no worse for wear, either. I knew you were a strong woman and I'm proud to have you here," Ganda said, and hugged her. "Come on upstairs." Josh looked around and inhaled deeply as he followed the women up the stairs to the kitchen. This was a good place to be, a good place to come back to, and he was happy that both he and Jess had survived, and were able to come here together. He hadn't told Jessie, but it was here that he wanted to stay and he hoped she'd like it as much as he did. He also hadn't told Jess that he was going after Hodge. They'd never be

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Rie McGaha safe as long as Hodge was alive and if it took setting off a nuclear blast, then that's what Josh would do to rid them of that entire clan, once and for all. Josh knew Hodge wouldn't be satisfied until he knew how to make the fatal silver bullets and have the ammunition for himself. If Hodge ever had that knowledge, he'd kill everyone he couldn't control. Amcor had made Hodge, and Hodge was much like his creator. "You worry too much, boy," Ganda said and peered over the top of her cup at him. Josh grinned. "I really have to learn how to read minds one of these days." Ganda chuckled. "It's a natural ability that comes from both witch and wolf, but there is little of either left in the creatures made in this century. Hodge has it because Amcor's father made him, and if you remember, my father made his father. Garan, of course, is pure wolf, born wolf and made by my father, who was his brother." Ganda paused long enough to drink her tea before continuing the story for Jessie's benefit. "You were made by Amcor, and in turn, you made Jessie, so your blood is closely linked to the wolf, as well. We have the ability to read a person's thoughts, but it isn't like being able to hear them speak. It's more of a feeling for what they're thinking rather than actually hearing the thoughts, or even seeing them. From each of you I feel your love for the other, your worry for one another, and your fear of what might happen. Neither of you want to tell the other what you think because of the love, and the fear. But it is something we all need to speak of. Garan will be here shortly and we'll have some supper together and then we'll talk." She drained her cup and rose to her feet, then turned to Josh. "Joshua, can you still turn a steak on the grill?" "I imagine I can." He grinned and swallowed the rest of his Coke. "Good, then go down to the store for the charcoal and get the grill going. Jessie, I could use some help in the kitchen, if you've a mind to." Ganda hobbled

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Blood Line across the veranda and went inside. "We'll have some baked potatoes and a salad with our meat," she said, pulling the refrigerator door open and gesturing to the vegetables on the lower shelf. Jessie made the salad while Ganda wrapped potatoes. "Now this is what I like to see," Josh said with a grin as he entered the kitchen, the charcoal in one arm. Garan had arrived, and joined them in the kitchen. Garan raised a brow at Josh and said, "Just what do you like to see?" "Women in the kitchen where they belong," he said. He managed to duck the cucumber Jessie sent flying at his head, but the potato Ganda lobbed at him caught him on the shoulder. "Hey, that's not fair. You ganged up on me!" Garan laughed. "You need to think before you speak!" "You tricked me," Josh said defensively, looking at Garan. "And you made it so easy for me! Come on, let's get that grill going." When supper was finished and the dishes washed, they sat together on the veranda, Ganda with a cup of tea, Josh with a Coke, Garan and Jess drinking wine. "It's so peaceful here," Jessie said. "I'm glad you like it." Garan nodded. "You’ll be staying here for a while." Josh looked from Garan to Ganda. "I haven't had a chance to speak with Jess yet, but as you know, we're going to need another house to live in and I would like to stay here permanently." Josh took a breath and looked at his wife. "You don't have to make up your mind yet, Jess, but just think about it first, okay?" "I don't need to think about it," Jess said. She rubbed her thumb over the back of his hand and smiled. "This is a good place to be and if we can find land near here to build on, I’d like living here." Ganda chuckled. "There's land everywhere around here. Garan and I own

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Rie McGaha all of this land for more than a hundred miles in every direction." Josh gave Garan an incredulous look, and the old wolf shrugged. "What else do you do when you live forever and accumulate wealth in unimaginable quantities? We've invested quite a bit, bought up property across the country, and around the world. We even own a couple of small islands, and we support many charities around the world." "So pick a spot and build your house, boy," Ganda told him, rocking steadily in her chair. "It's still so hard for me to think in terms of forever," Jessie said. "It's just not a concept that comes naturally. How did you get used to it?" "Garan can answer that better than I can," Ganda told her. "I'm from witch blood and would have been immortal in either case." "It's not something you get used to," Garan said thoughtfully, gazing out at the rapidly falling darkness. "After a few centuries, you just accept what you are and try to find ways to stay interested in life. You try to find something new, something that makes life worthwhile, and you just live. We have very few alternatives, although there are those who have engaged in battle with another for the express purpose of being killed. Or you can try to take my niece's way out and die of old age. Eventually." "Bah." Ganda snorted. "It's not all that horrible to live a quiet, mortal existence. My uncle there just likes excitement and danger too much to ever settle into a comfortable life." "It's all that I want," Josh finally said. "I want the life we used to have, a quiet life with Jessie by my side. I never wanted this. I just want my own life." "We'll have it, baby." Jessie squeezed his hand. Josh looked at Garan and took a deep breath. "There is still the matter of Hodge and as long as he lives, we are all in danger. We have to figure out a way to trap him, a way to kill him, and be rid of him for good." "Oh, no you don't." Jess shook her head. "You aren't going after him,

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Blood Line Joshua. I'll not take the chance of losing you. I was scared to death when we were home and having to face those animals like we did. My sister is dead because of him, and I nearly died, as well. You aren't going after him. Josh, please promise me you won't!" Josh wiped a thumb over her cheek, catching a tear. "Jess, baby, I have to go after him or we'll be looking over our shoulders for the rest of eternity." "Now wait a minute," Garan said and paced the length of the veranda and back. "It's true that we do need to find him and be done with him, once and for all, but I think I have a plan that will be agreeable to everyone." He glanced at Ganda and filled his wine glass again. Ganda nodded. "We are all safe here," Garan said then took a long drink from his glass. "If we can lure Hodge here, we’ll have the best chance of killing him. Ganda has kept the whereabouts of this place veiled from all the clans and only the four of us, and Jim Glick, know how to get here. Hodge doesn't know anything about Jim, so I don't think he is in any danger, but we could use his help again in getting ready." Josh shook his head. "They found me in the swamp so they must know we're here." "They found the swamp, yes, but they never made it here, to this house. It's been rumored for years that Ganda lives in the Louisiana swamps, and several even came to find her, though they wound up fed to the alligators, but no one has ever known her exact location. Where were you in the swamp when they caused you to wreck your pick-up?" "I don't know." Josh shrugged. "I could feel them coming, so could Ganda, so I left here and drove, I don't know, fifteen, or twenty miles I guess, before I ran into them. Literally." "Well, this time we're going to let them find us right here. And when they do, we'll be ready for them. You can get a hold of Jim tomorrow and we'll start planning with him." Garan drained his wine glass.

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Rie McGaha "Hold on," Jess said. "I don't know about this. If they know where we are, what's to prevent all the other clans from coming with them, or coming here at a later time? Letting Hodge know where we are might be putting us in more danger than ever. If we just stay here where we're protected and safe, it won't be necessary to let him know." "Baby," Josh said, leaning into her and kissing her gently, "how long do you think you could live here without ever going anywhere? It would be like a prison, eventually, and you'd hate it. We couldn't go out for dinner, or shopping, or to the beach, or any other place, because we would know Hodge would have spies out there in the swamp just waiting for us. We would never be safe." Jess sat silently for a few moments before speaking again. "You're right, Josh. I know you are, but I was with him and I know what he's capable of. There's nothing human about him. He's soulless, heartless, and evil. He killed people and threw them into the dungeon with me, trying to make me feed off them so I'd be like him, and when that didn't work, he threw living men down to me. I was starving, and he threw young men to me like he was slopping the pigs. It took everything in me not to feed on them. I had to kill them myself to put them out of their misery, and I could hear him laughing." Josh's heart ached as she spoke and he would have done anything to take the awful memories from her. "I'm sorry, Jess," he said and pulled her against him. "I know it was difficult for you and I wish I could take it all back." "Josh, I know you would and it really doesn't bother me too much now. I know I'm safe here." "And I want you to stay that way." He smiled affectionately at her. Jess looked at him and nodded. "Okay. You're right. We have to stop Hodge. One way or the other." "Alright then," Garan said. "I suggest we all get some sleep and tomorrow we start working on a plan."

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Blood Line Chapter Twenty Once again, Jim Glick found himself sitting at Ganda's kitchen table with a pad of paper and pen in front of him. He'd been glad to hear Josh's voice on the phone and to learn that not only was Josh alive and well, but Jessie was with him and no worse for wear. Jim had thought about his friends every day since he'd left Louisiana, and had wondered if Josh had gotten himself into something he couldn't get out of. Now, as he looked at the four faces before him, he was wondering what the hell was really going on. Obviously much more than what they'd told him, and as he thought about it, he realized they'd told him next to nothing. They wanted weapons again. Weapons made from the silver, arsenic, and copper mixture just like the last time, but Jim wanted answers before he went any further. They had doubled the amount of money they'd given him before, but that didn't change the fact that he needed to know what he was doing and why. If this was to go suddenly sideways, he wanted to know what to expect and what his culpability would be. He was too old to go to prison. Jim tapped the pen against the pad of paper and looked at the table for a long moment. He raised his head and looked pointedly at Josh, but he was addressing all of them. "Unless y'all are ready to explain some of this to me, the answer is no. I'm not making another weapon for you until I know what's going on, no matter how much cash you toss at me." Garan and Ganda had read his thoughts before he spoke and looked at each other, then looked at Josh. "Well . . . ." Garan exhaled resignedly. "It looks as if you have a choice to make here, Josh." "Why me?" "You brought him in on it and you're the one who said you'd take care of it if he started asking questions," Garan replied with a smirk.

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Rie McGaha "Fine." Josh took a deep breath. "Jim, let's you and me step out on the veranda so we can talk. You all—" He leveled his gaze at Garan. "—can wait for us in here." "I'll come with you," Jess offered. "No, darlin', you wait here, too," Josh said as he kissed her lightly then followed Jim outside to the veranda. Josh shut the door softly behind them and went to the railing. He lit a cigarette and turned toward Jim. "This isn't going to be easy for you to understand. Are you sure you can't just take my word for it and let things be?" "Josh, I'm old enough to be your father, and right now I'm thinking that if you don't up with some answers, I'm going to kick your ass over that railing." Jim stuck a cigarette in his mouth and lit it. Josh grinned as he took a drag off his own cigarette. He'd known Jim Glick as long as he could remember. He'd been a hunting buddy of Josh's father, and when Josh had been old enough, he was allowed to accompany the two men on their expeditions into the woods. When Josh's father had passed away, Jim had been there, and ever since, he'd been a surrogate father to Josh. Josh loved him as much as he'd loved his own father and now that he stood looking at him, Josh knew he was going to tell him the whole story. Jim smoked five cigarettes while Josh told him the story and when he was done, Jim stood leaning on the railing without speaking. "I know this is the weirdest thing you've ever heard, but believe me, every word is absolutely true. I've wanted nothing more than to wake up and realize it was a really bad dream, but it's not,” Josh said in conclusion. Jim lit another cigarette and inhaled deeply. "Josh, I've never known you to be a liar, but I just can't believe this," he said. He shook his head and turned around, staring out into the night. A moment later, he turned back around, and almost fell over the railing when he saw the wolf standing behind him.

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Blood Line The door opened and Garan, Ganda, and Jess walked onto the veranda. Eyes wide, Jim continued to stare at Josh. He turned slowly to look toward the other people standing there and saw Jess walking toward him, and then it wasn't Jess, but another wolf. Then there was another wolf behind her while Ganda simply walked to her rocker and sat down. Jim thought she was smiling, but he didn't give it another thought as he sank to the veranda floor and covered his face with his hands. When he looked up again there were four people with robes wrapped around them standing on the veranda looking at him. "Are you alright?" Jim's hands were shaking so badly he couldn't tap another cigarette out of the pack and dropped them all in his lap. Josh picked them up, then lit one and handed it to Jim and asked again, "Are you alright?" Jim inhaled the blue smoke deeply into his lungs and closed his eyes as he blew it out. "Fuck no," he whispered. "Here, try this." Jess handed him a bottle of whiskey and he took a long pull. "How is this possible?" "That's a very long story," Garan said. "We'll tell you another time, but right now we need to know that our secret is safe." Jim nodded, drew on the cigarette. "Who in hell would believe me? If I told this story to anyone else they'd lock me up in a padded cell!" "Come on." Josh gave Jim a hand up off the floor and held his arm until he was seated in a chair. "I know it's a lot to handle, but you did ask," Josh said with a mischievous grin. "Fuck you, Josh," Jim said without much conviction, and took another pull off the bottle. "Okay, now that we know you're fine," Josh said, not the least bit insulted, "let's go back inside and talk weapons. We need more of the claymores like you

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Rie McGaha made last time, but we have something else in mind that's going to make a bang that will rival the atomic bomb! We plan on killing every one of those bastards in one fell swoop. Garan will give you the details since it's his idea and he knows what he wants it to look like." ***** They stood looking at the drawing Garan had done and Jim smiled. It was a very creative idea, and if he could pull it off, it would be a thing of beauty. He began making a list of the items they'd need from the ground up. This wasn't going to be easy and it was going to take quite a bit of time, as well, but it also gave Jim a little bargaining room. "I want my wife brought out here and a place for the two of us to stay while we're here. I want a place far enough away that she won't ever see this place so if anything happens prematurely, she'll have no idea it ever occurred. And I want your word that when we go back home, no one, and I do mean no one, ever has any idea that we were ever here. And no matter what happens here, I want your assurance that you'll never call on me for this type of work again," Jim said and looked at each of them until they nodded their agreement. "Sonofabitch, I should be asking for a million instead of two hundred and fifty grand." He blew out a breath, and went back to making his list.

***** Two days later, Garan and Josh returned, driving a U-Haul truck and parking it in the dirt lot on the side of the store. Josh handed Jim the keys to his little Chevy truck and a key card to a motel room. "There's a motel about fifty miles south. I know it's a long ways to drive, but it's the closest one and it's pretty nice. Here's the flight information for Alice. You can call her from the pay phone downstairs. There's no phone up here and no service for cell phones this far out.

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Blood Line You can use the truck as long as you're here.” Josh sat down at the kitchen table. "If you or Alice need anything else, just say so and I'll make sure you get it." "You mean anything other than needing my head examined?" Josh laughed. "Yeah, other than that." "I'm going to go call Alice." Garan was gone again, and Ganda sat rocking in her chair on the veranda, while Jim was on his way to pick up Alice at the airport and take her to the motel. Josh took Jess by the hand and led her downstairs. "Where are we going?" "We've been here nearly a week and if I don't get my hands on you I'm going to hurt someone!" "Ah, my poor, horny baby," Jess cooed. "Exactly. Now come on, there's something I want to show you," he said with a grin. "Hmmm, I think I've seen it a few times already," Jess said with a straight face. "Smart ass." Josh kissed her. They were in the store below Ganda's little apartment. "Take off your clothes," Josh told her as he stripped out of his. "I'm not having sex with you in the store, Josh!" Josh looked at her and grinned. "We're going somewhere and it'll be easier if we change first. Give me your clothes; I'll carry them in my bag." They went into the swamp, loping on all fours. The water was full of snakes, frogs, bugs, and alligators, and the murky black water was several feet deep in some places. If Jess let herself think about what could be lurking there, the human inside of her began to cringe, so she relied on the wolf to protect her and she followed close to Josh. They traveled for about an hour, and when they finally came out of the

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Rie McGaha swamp, a beautiful pine forest opened into a lush, green meadow, bright with wild flowers. They made the change to human form and dressed. "Oh Josh, this is beautiful!" "I thought you'd like it," he said, and caught her hand in his and kissed it. "I thought we could build our house here if you want to." "How will we get to it without a road, not to mention all the water around us?" "We just took a short-cut across the swamp, but on the other side of those pines is a service road and the paved road is only about five miles away. The swamp is just between Ganda's house and this land here, but it's shorter to go across. If we were to drive it, it'd be about twenty-five miles." "When could we start building?" "As soon as Hodge is dead," Josh told her. Then he took her into his arms and kissed her passionately. Desire and need both curled through him as he began undressing her. Jess pulled at his clothing, obviously needing him naked and inside of her as badly as he needed to be naked and inside of her. Josh broke contact with her only long enough to pull a thin blanket from the bag and spread it on the grass. Pulling her down with him, he locked his mouth onto hers. Jess closed her eyes and reveled in the feel of him. Of his mouth on hers, moving down her body, taking her nipples between his teeth, moving over her stomach and farther down. When his lips touched her pussy, she cried out and clutched at his hair, holding him close as he teased her with his tongue. God, how she loved the feel of him. She would be spending forever with him, and the faint thought of being able to feel this way throughout eternity slipped through her mind, and then she was thinking of nothing at all.

Chapter Twenty-One

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Blood Line Ganda sat in her rocker on the veranda and watched the work going on in the yard below. She had a cup of tea in her hand and sipped it slowly as the men set about building the structure Garan had designed. Ganda left it to the younger ones to see it through, but she would be present when the battle began. She hoped it would go as smoothly as they'd planned, and wanted it to be over with quickly. Ganda could provide protection over them, give them an edge, so to speak, but the hard work would be up to them to complete alone. Sighing, she thought not of the battle to come, but of those that had already been fought. The lump in her throat was hard to swallow as she pictured Colin's face in her mind. He'd been so young and handsome. Her heart stood still the first time she'd seen him, and she had fallen madly in love. He had fallen in love with her, as well, and they'd married on the following full moon so he could see her as she really was. He hadn't been troubled by it at all and had asked her to make him as she was. At times, she regretted that decision and at other times, she blessed him for asking her to do it. They’d had thousands of years together, and she'd had thousands more of heartache since his death. But that was the way of life wasn't it? No matter who you were, if you loved, you were going to be hurt by it. And Lord, how she'd loved that man. They had traveled the world together, had climbed mountains, swam lakes and rivers, crossed seas and seen all there was to see. They'd made love in valleys, on mountaintops, on the decks of ships, in pools of water . . . and how he'd made her scream. How he'd made her laugh. Egypt had been the problem, she decided. Chance that had led them there, but the country was in such a state of civil unrest that it broke her heart not to help when she knew they could. Egypt was beautiful, with its pyramids and palaces, but her visit there had been the beginning of the end of her life with Colin. Ganda took a deep breath, blew it out and sipped her tea. Her heart still ached for the husband she'd loved and lost far too quickly. More than that, he'd

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Rie McGaha been her best friend, her lover, and no matter how many years they'd had together, it wasn't nearly enough. She'd gathered all of her strength and all of her powers, she had cast spell after spell, but nothing could undo the finality of the grip that death had on her Colin. Two thousand years had done little to quell the ache. She'd accomplished that only by sheer willpower and her refusal to dwell on the pain. Most of the time she could think of Colin and smile, but every now and then the pain was as keen as it had been all those long, lonely years ago. Turning her attention back to the activity in the yard below, she forced herself to remain calm. She smiled as she watched the men. Jessie impatiently stood with her arms crossed over her chest and her foot tapping against the ground as she waited for them to finish arguing over every nail and crossbeam. Finally, Jess had had enough and left the men to themselves. "I swear they act like a bunch of two-year-olds," Jess said, exasperated as she sat down near Ganda and drank deeply from a Mason jar full of iced tea. Ganda nodded in agreement. "I doubt they're even acting that old." "Can't you just zap them with a spell or something?" Ganda laughed. "I doubt it would do any good." Jess watched the men, who had apparently settled their squabble and were back at work with their hammers and nails. Josh happened to look up at that moment, shielding his eyes from the sun with one hand. "What are you doing up there?" he asked. "Not listening to the three of you bickering like children," she replied. "So you're not going to help?" "I've decided to promote myself to the position of supervisor, so get back to work before I fire your ass." She laughed when he muttered to himself and went back to work. "It's good to see him happy," Ganda said. "You should have seen him

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Blood Line when he thought you'd been killed. He was hoping the clan would return and take his head. He carried a single silver bullet in his pocket just in case." Jessie studied the old woman for a moment. "But you've found another way to kill yourself." She made the statement quietly, meaning no disrespect. "It's not as simple as you think," Ganda said. "At first, I wanted to die because I was buried beneath my grief and wanted to join Colin, but now, it’s just who I am. Life is peaceful here, and I suppose until you've lived as long as I have, there's no way for you to fully appreciate that." "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you think of Colin." "You didn't, Jessie. I've thought of him every single day for the last two thousand years. It's just that now, when I think of him, it's the wonderful times we had together that are on my mind. Sometimes, I can't help but think of the day he died, and it still causes pain, but that happens so rarely anymore." "I'd love to hear how you met, how life was for you all those years ago. I can't imagine what it was like to be alive when there was no running water, or grocery stores, or toilet paper! You must like today's world a lot more." Ganda smiled and sipped her tea. "In some ways, this time in history is better, but as you've seen, I don't have a lot of modern gadgets in my house. The invention of the refrigerator and a stove that flames without wood are the things that I wonder how I lived without all those years ago. But it was a simpler time, and in most ways, a better time. But you also have to remember that I am half witch and moved about in both our worlds easily. The years with Colin were the happiest I've ever known. Your relationship with Josh reminds me of Colin and me. We were so much in love and saw nothing but each other. That was part of the reason Amcor was able to kill him." "Why did you allow Amcor to live after he killed your husband?" "In my grief, I couldn't think straight. All I wanted to do was get home to my parents, where I would feel safe and secure, but when I got there, my father was dead and my mother lay dying. So my grief was increased, and I couldn't

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Rie McGaha think about what I would do the next day, much less what I could do about Amcor. By the time I was thinking again, he was gone. I wandered around the earth for years, perhaps centuries, then Garan came to me and I stayed with him for years. Then I came here to Louisiana, and I've been here ever since." "Don't you miss the outside world? Going places, seeing things? Seeing the changes in other countries?" "Sometimes I think of taking a trip, flying on an airplane, or traveling by boat, but I never consider taking the form of the wolf again. The last time I made the change, was when Colin and I were in Egypt. And it was there that we discovered the secret silver, arsenic, and copper formula. It was during the bloodiest battle you could never imagine. During that battle, Colin died at Amcor's hand. We went there to help, but when Amcor followed, he and his cronies went on a feeding frenzy and the country was red with blood." Ganda shook her head as if trying to shake the images from her mind. "I think I'd rather tell you the whole story some other time." "Of course," Jessie said. "Can I make you another cup of tea?" Ganda smiled as Jessie rose, taking her cup into the kitchen to brew the tea and refill the Mason jar. When she came back out, Jessie stood on the veranda at the railing, observing the men working down below. They'd come up with a brilliant plan, but even the best-laid plans sometimes failed in the execution. She hoped that this one was successful, because if it wasn't, they'd all die and Jessie didn't plan on the rest of her life being quite that short. She planned on living for as long as there was an earth to live on, and she would do it with Joshua. Watching him from the veranda, she smiled. He'd taken off his shirt and his skin shone golden in the sunlight. His muscles bunched and stretched beneath his skin as he hammered nails. He was gorgeous and she felt such love for him, and desire curled through her. He created a delightful pull deep within her that she'd never felt for

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Blood Line another man. They'd always said they would love each other forever, but never had either of them thought there really would be a literal forever. If they won the next battle, if they killed Hodge, forever was exactly what they would have. If . . . . "Don't let it worry you, Jess," Ganda said. "I can't help but think of what I would do if I lost Josh the way you lost Colin. The thought scares me to death," Jess said. "I know, but you have to believe that if I thought this plan wasn't going to work, I'd not let any of you do it. Garan is my last blood relative and I want him alive as much as you want Josh alive. And I've a soft spot for that husband of yours," she said with a twinkle in her eye. Jessie smiled and looked at the old woman. "I think he's got a soft spot for you, too. And so do I." Ganda reached for Jessie's hand. "Then believe that everything is going to be all right. I have a contingent plan if something goes wrong." "You won't do anything to put yourself in danger?" "No." Ganda smiled. "But I won't let anything happen to any of the three of you, either. My power is still strong, even though I rarely use but just a touch of it from time to time. A little spell for protection on occasion, or a little spell to keep away those who covet my secrets. Occasionally, I’ve worked a spell to send the ones who came here into the swamp to feed the gators. But my power remains quite strong and if I have to use it, I will." "Thank you." Jess leaned down and hugged Ganda. "I'm going to see if I can help the men now."

Chapter Twenty-Two The five of them stood inside the structure, looking it over. The carpentry work was finished and the only thing left to do was finish the interior. The

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Rie McGaha building took up most of the yard, standing fifteen feet high, thirty feet wide, and fifty feet long. The roof was flat instead of pitched, but it hardly mattered. The building was temporary. It didn't even have a floor, the walls sat directly on the lawn and there was no front. Enclosed on only three sides, it had no doors or windows. The building would serve its purpose and be destroyed in the process. And so, they hoped, would Hodge and his cronies. "Well, what do you think?" Josh looked at Jim. "Is it going to work?" Jim walked around looking at the walls, looking up at the ceiling. "I need to make a few modifications, but it should be fine." "How long until it's ready?" Jim lifted a shoulder, let it drop, and then looked thoughtful for a few moments. "It shouldn't take me more than ten days to get everything ready and maybe a few more to get it all installed. The only thing I worry about is not having the opportunity for a trial run. I'd like to know how it's going to act under actual use. I don't want any of you getting killed in the process." "We won't be close enough to it to get killed," Garan said. "Besides, we have Ganda if things start going sideways." "Alright then." Jim nodded. "I'm going back to the hotel and have some supper with my wife, maybe take a few laps in the pool. I'll be back early in the morning to get started on the weaponry. Oh yeah, I thought of something else I'll need. I want a few rolls of aluminum foil, the big rolls they use in restaurants, so I can line the walls and ceiling in here. It'll help give me a sense of where I'll place everything when it's ready. I won't be able to do a trial run, but I can use the foil as a sort of dry run. And as soon as you get the sprinkler heads and the PVC I need, we can start working on that as well." "No problem," Josh replied. "I'll see y'all tomorrow." Jim waved as he walked around the store to Josh's pick-up. "What do you think?" Josh asked Jess.

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Blood Line "I just hope it works," she said, and slipped an arm around his waist. "It will." He gave her a reassuring squeeze and kissed her temple. "Come on," Ganda said. "Let's fix ourselves some supper and get some sleep." "I won't be eating tonight," Garan said. "I've got a few things to tend to, so I'll see you in the morning." "Where does he go?" Jess asked as Garan disappeared into the swamp. "Oh, here and there," Ganda said as she hobbled to the stairs that led up to the veranda. "Let's see what we've got for supper." ***** Josh and Jess sat on the veranda for a long while after Ganda had gone to bed. It was a clear, warm night and billions of stars winked brightly against the black velvet sky. "Do you think it's going to work?" "I think it's our best chance to get Hodge, but I'm also having Jim make a thousand rounds of bullets for us, as well. I want you armed and ready to kill anything that moves." "What about you?" "I'll be fine, baby. Don't worry about me." Josh held her closer and kissed her hair. "You're avoiding the question, Joshua," Jess said and turned so she could see his face. "Jess, I don't want to discuss this anymore, alright?" "You're planning something, aren't you?" Josh blew out an exasperated breath and rubbed his hands up and down her arms. "Look, Jess, you aren't going to like it and I don't want to fight with you, so I'm asking you to let it drop."

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Rie McGaha "You're not thinking of going after Hodge yourself, are you?" "Dammit, Jessie!" Josh dropped his arms and paced away from her, then came back to stand in front of her. "He almost killed you. He did kill Terri, and I'm not taking the chance that he'll escape again. I know you're not going to like it, but we’re doing this my way. The way I think is best for us both. That means Hodge is mine. If he's not killed in the initial blast, I'm taking him on myself." Josh saw anger flash in her eyes, and he could feel his own anger rising, as well. He gave in to her most of the time, but this wasn't going to be one of those times. Without another word, he turned and snatched his leather bag off the counter, and walked down the stairs into the night. He heard her say into the darkness, "Joshua, this isn't over!" Josh shoved his hands deep into his pockets and kept walking. She might not understand, but he'd taken it personally when Hodge kidnapped his wife and killed his sister-in-law. It was his job to make sure Hodge never had another chance to hurt anyone. Why she couldn't understand that, Josh didn't know, but he wasn't giving in to her this time. She'd just have to deal with it. Josh walked aimlessly, needing a physical outlet for his anger, and not until he'd been gone quite a while and had calmed down a bit did he realize where he was . . . in the middle of the swamp with the snakes and the gators. He stopped long enough to undress and put his clothing in his bag, then made the change to wolf. He liked experiencing life with the senses of the wolf, the acuity of both sight and smell. It transformed a dangerous place like the dark, murky swamp into a wonderful place full of mystery. Josh continued deeper into the swamp and then suddenly stopped, picking up a familiar scent. He turned slowly, sniffed the air again and followed the scent as it became stronger. Then he was on dry land again, standing in front of a log cabin, with Garan's scent coming from inside. Garan's scent, but also that of a human female. Josh slipped into the darkness beneath the trees and howled. Garan would

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Blood Line know who it was, would be able to scent him, as well, and it didn't take long before the front door opened. Garan's familiar figure came out on the porch. Josh came out of the shadows, having changed to his mortal form and dressed. "Garan," Josh said in a low voice that he knew Garan would hear as clearly, as if they were standing side by side. "What are you doing here, Josh?" "I didn't follow you, if that's what you mean. I just needed a walk and caught your scent, so I followed it. What are you doing here?" "This is where I live," Garan answered simply. "Really? For some reason, I thought you lived, well, I don't know where I thought you lived, but I didn't think it was this near to Ganda." "Well, you're here now, so come on in and meet my wife." "Your wife? You're married?" "I am," Garan said with a grin, "so come inside and quit acting like you have no manners." Josh sniffed at the air, the aroma of human female blood so strong now it swam through his bloodstream, heating it, and his stomach growled. "She's mortal." "She is." Garan nodded. "So mind yourself." Josh followed Garan into the cabin. The tiny room was warm and comfortable and the woman Garan introduced Josh to was equally welcoming. Her name was Liza and Josh guessed she was about fifty years old. Her hair hung in a single silver braid down her back, and her eyes were the color of jade and full of humor. Josh liked her immediately. "It's so rare that I get to meet any of Garan's friends," Liza said as she served coffee to the two men, and then took a seat on the sofa next to Garan. "We live so far out that few ever want to travel the distance. Garan's told me about you and your wife, Jessie. You'll have to bring her with you sometime so she and I can meet."

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Rie McGaha "She'd like that, I'm sure," Josh said and sipped the hot liquid. "How long have you two been married?" Liza's eyes flashed with mischief. "Well, my love, how long have we been married?" The corner of Garan’s mouth curved. "Let me see now, what's it been, a hundred or so years?" Liza laughed. "No, it only feels like it's been that long! He never remembers how long it's been, but he never forgets the date. And he gives the most beautiful anniversary gifts. Next month will be our twenty-eighth. And I must confess, they've been twenty-eight very happy years. I couldn't have ordered a more perfect or loving husband if I tried." She slipped her arm through Garan's and Josh could see her eyes were just a little brighter. She looked at her husband with pure love shining on her face. "And I did marry the perfect woman." Garan smiled and kissed her lips lightly. "Twenty-eight years is a long time," Josh said and tipped his coffee cup to his lips. "It doesn't feel like it's been nearly long enough," Liza said. "We had hoped for children, too, but it never happened for us. Do you and Jessie have children, Josh?" Josh shot a glance at Garan, then answered, "No, we intended to, but we were so wrapped up in each other, I guess we never really got around to it." "Well, you're young still," Liza said. "You still have time to make a family. Me, I'm old." "You're not old," Garan said. "You're as beautiful now as the day we met." "Flatterer. And you haven't aged at bit." Josh nearly choked on his coffee, but he managed to shrug and grunt noncommittally as he looked at Garan. "I really should be getting back to Jess; she'll wonder where I've gotten off to." He got to his feet. "Thank you for the

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Blood Line coffee, and it was nice meeting you, Liza." Liza stood and shook his hand warmly. "Now promise you'll come back and bring Jessie with you." "I will, thank you." Josh grinned and Garan walked him outside. "She doesn't know," Garan said quietly. "I got that," Josh said and lit a cigarette. "I thought you told me you hadn't met your mate?" "I haven't. Liza is my wife and she's been a good companion, but she's not my mate. And one day I know Liza will die and I'll be sorry and I'll miss her. She’s also not my first wife, and may not be my last. Living forever can be very lonely, Josh. You’re lucky to have found your mate." "I didn't know there was a difference," Josh said. "I thought you could only be with your mate and once they died you could never have another." "That's true, but I've not yet met my mate. It doesn't mean that I have to remain celibate until I do." "Right, I guess I didn't get that before," Josh said with a grin. "I better get back to Jess." "See ya tomorrow," Garan said. "And Josh?" He turned back. "Yeah?" "Just tell her you're sorry. Kiss and make up, alright?" Josh shook his head. He only wished it were that simple. "I'll see you in the morning." "Goodnight," Garan said and went inside. ***** Jessie was sleeping on the cot out on the veranda when Josh returned. He sat down beside her, smoothed her hair from her face and kissed her on the cheek.

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Rie McGaha "Hey," Jess said as she tried to sit up. "Hey. I'm sorry," Josh told her and wrapped his arms around her. "So am I." Jess found his lips with hers and kissed him. "I love you, Jess." Josh lay down beside her and held her close, stroking her hair. “I hate it when we fight.” “Me too. So let’s not do it anymore, okay?” Josh chuckled. “Okay.” Jess rose up on her elbows and looked down at him, then lowered her lips to his. She traced her tongue over his lips as her hand trailed over his stomach to his dick. She stroked his lips with her tongue and stroked his cock with her hand until he was hard. Then she straddled him and slid her wet pussy over him. Riding him slowly with her mouth still fused to his, Jess rubbed her clit against his pelvic bone with each forward motion. Josh caught her ass in both of his hands, kneading and squeezing the soft flesh as she moved on him. “Josh,” she whispered against his mouth, “I’m coming.” “Do it, baby. Let it go. I’m right behind you.

Chapter Twenty-Three Josh was still sleeping with Jess in his arms when Jim arrived the next morning. Ganda had coffee brewing and sat at the table with a cup of tea in her hands, a newspaper on the table in front of her. "Good morning," Jim said and poured himself a cup of coffee. "How are you this morning, Jim?" "I'm ready to be finished with it." Jim pulled out a chair and sat across from Ganda. Ganda looked up at him and smiled. "It won't be long now." Jim studied the old black woman for a time as he blew on his coffee and sipped at it.

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Blood Line "I'm about ten thousand years old." Ganda's face crinkled as she chuckled. Jim's face grew hot as he realized she'd read his thoughts. "I didn't mean anything." "I know that, boy. You want to know anything, just ask. I don't mind answering questions and if I don't want to answer, I'll let you know." "This is all so unbelievable. It's something you read about in books or see at the movies, but you don't live it," Jim said, shaking his head. "It just doesn't seem possible." "I understand you feel that way, but I've known nothing else. I can't imagine it being any other way." "Even though you're alone now? Josh told me that you could never have another since your mate died. Don't you get lonely?" "It's true we can never have another mate, but Josh probably misunderstood. If I wanted a man, I could have one for physical satisfaction, but there was only one man for me. I never wanted a man other than Colin, and even though he's been dead for so long now, I never wanted anyone else." “I'm sorry for your loss.” Jim didn't know what else to say to her and was relieved when Josh and Jess came into the kitchen. “It's about time you two got up.” Jim grinned. “Are you ready to get started?” Josh took the cup of coffee Jess offered him and pulled her to sit on his knee. "Yep, I checked out the stuff you brought and I think if I get started today, I can have it done in less time than I first thought. That is, if you and Jess will help with the bullets." "Sure, whatever you need us to do," Josh said and Jess nodded in agreement. "I'll fix you all some breakfast." Ganda stood and went to the refrigerator. "You don't have to cook for us, Ganda," Jess said. "We can fend for ourselves."

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Rie McGaha "I know, but you'll have breakfast with no arguments," she said firmly, setting eggs and thick slabs of ham on the counter. "Yes, ma'am." Josh grinned and squeezed Jessie around the waist. Garan arrived just as the ham was sizzling in the big, cast iron skillet. He sniffed the air as he shut the door behind him. "I could smell that cooking halfway across the swamp!"

***** They worked together until late afternoon, and when the sun began to set, they went outside to the structure they'd built. Handing each of them a roll of foil, Jim instructed them to line the walls and ceiling with long sheets of the thin aluminum. When they finished, Jim looked it over and nodded. "I want to get the PVC put together and installed in the morning. It'll probably take most of the day to get it put together, but that's the hard part. After that's done, we'll be nearly finished. I have the claymores modifications finished, and after the sprinkler system is in, I'll put them up. You should have the bullets finished by day after tomorrow and that should be it." They parted for the night, their plan for the next day in place. ***** Another four days passed before everything was ready to go, but when the plan was in place, they were all positive that if anything could work, this could. "Josh, I hope it goes the way you want it to," Jim said and shook his hand. "I hope to see you soon—at my place! Jess, take care of him and don't let him get into too much trouble." "I won't," Jess replied as she gave him a quick squeeze. "Thank you."

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Blood Line "You're welcome." Jim hugged Ganda and shook Garan's hand. "And good luck." "Okay," Garan said, as Jim walked away. He turned to look at the building with his hands on his hips. "This is it. I imagine we'll be in it neck deep before midnight, so get ready and stay that way. I'm going to get it all started." He disappeared into the swamp and Josh followed Jessie and Ganda up the stairs. "Jessie, I want you to stay inside with Ganda," Josh told her as they began loading magazines with the silver bullets they'd made. "And Jess?" "Hmmm?" Jess looked up at him. "When I say stay inside, that means stay inside no matter what, got that?" "Josh, I'm not two years old!" "Good, then maybe this time you'll do as I say." He grinned when she frowned. "I need you to stay inside with Ganda, just in case." "Alright," she said, looking at Ganda, who was quietly observing them while sipping her tea. Josh cut a sideways glance at her. Though she showed no emotion, she nodded slightly. Josh went back to loading the magazines, satisfied that Ganda understood he was letting Jessie believe she’d be doing the protecting, rather than it being the other way around. ***** After eating sandwiches for supper, Josh went downstairs to check on everything once again. An ingenious idea, Josh thought as he looked around. Jim had modified the claymores into large sheets full of shot made from the silver, arsenic, and copper mixture, and then he'd installed the sheets in the frame of the building like installing insulation. They'd designed the whole thing to be

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Rie McGaha triggered by a remote control that Jessie had in her possession. He’d also designed a sprinkler system that hung from the ceiling, powered by a generator and pump with a reservoir full of liquid silver mixed with arsenic and copper. When turned on, it would spray the deadly mixture over anyone, or anything, that was inside the structure. The front of the building had no wall, but it did have a roll of chain link steel at the top of the opening attached to a chain that ran from the top of the building to the veranda and inside the house. When they pulled the chain, the roll of steel would drop and cover the front opening, hopefully, trapping the werewolves inside. It would be up to Josh and Garan to lure the beasts inside of the structure, and Ganda would need to pull the chain to lower the steel fencing, so Jess could discharge the claymore sheets. Josh took a deep breath, blew it out and said a quick prayer. This had to work. He could think of so many ways for their plan to go sideways, but he shook those thoughts from his head and tried to concentrate on their back-up plan. They had conventional claymore mines set around the perimeter of the property that would be triggered by trip wires, plus he and Garan would both be armed with pistols and silver bullets, as well as their own swords in the event the bullets ran out and they had to revert to battle as the wolf. "Worried?" Garan walked up behind Josh. "Yeah," Josh said and pushed a hand through his hair. "The last time I took these assholes on they kidnapped my wife and killed her sister. So yeah, I'm worried." "You didn't have help last time, either," Garan said, looking inside the building. "You have me to help you, and we all have Ganda. As close as she is this time, she'll be able to help in ways she couldn't before because of the distance. We're all going to be fine." "Thanks," Josh said, as he followed Garan inside. They loaded their weapons, each of them taking a pair of pistols and

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Blood Line distributing the ammunition evenly between them. They put their leather bags across their chests and Josh and Garan slid their swords into the sheaths on their backs. They looked at each other and nodded. This was it, and they were as ready as they were going to get. "Be careful," Jess said as she hugged Josh. "You too,” she said, and hugged Garan, as well. "Let's go," Garan said as he glanced at his niece. Ganda looked at him calmly as they exchanged thoughts. "Jess, remember, as soon as you hear the first shot, hit the button on the remote. Ganda, you'll pull the chain when you get the signal from Garan," Josh said. When both women nodded, he kissed Jessie one more time and then followed Garan back outside. Night was falling quickly and they wouldn't have long to wait.

Chapter Twenty-Four Garan had made sure Hodge and his clan knew Josh and Jessie were alive and well, but he'd also let them know the couple was with Ganda. Then he’d led them directly to the swamp. He knew they had lain back, kept their distance— had attempted to keep enough distance that Garan wouldn't be able to scent them. They'd wanted to keep their thoughts from him, as well, but they were unsuccessful in both attempts. Few of the werewolves truly understood the power he and Ganda shared. Most of them had been made in recent centuries, and only Amcor had been an Ancient as both Garan and Ganda were. Most had heard the rumors of Ganda's power, but they'd also heard she never turned to the wolf anymore, and they knew she was trying to join her husband in the next life. She didn't appear to be the threat that the rumors would lead one to believe. Hodge was not only confident that his clan would kill the four in the

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Rie McGaha swamp, but that they'd also acquire the knowledge of how to make bullets that would kill the wolf. With that knowledge, Hodge knew he would be unstoppable. Not only would he rule his own clan, he would rule over all the clans. He would set his own clan as officers under him to carry out his orders. There would be no law higher than himself and Hodge was feeling very giddy as they drew closer to the final battle. Garan sensed his thoughts, sensed that giddiness, and hoped it would be Hodge's undoing. Joshua and Garan hid in the swamp, waiting with a weapon in each hand. They were going to try to lead the clan out of the swamp and into the structure waiting in Ganda's yard. Then they'd go into the swamp beyond the yard, carefully avoiding the claymore mines, and with a little luck, they'd lead any stray clan members to trip the trigger wires. Any others that were still alive after all that would simply be shot. At least, that's how the plan was supposed to work, and only time would tell if they'd succeed. Suddenly, they sensed movement far behind them. The wolves were giving chase. Josh and Garan ran through the swamp, staying well ahead of Hodge and his clan, since they were both in human form, and the werewolves following them would be much, much faster. They didn't want to have to use any of the bullets until absolutely necessary. The clan grew closer, and the two men ran as fast as they could toward the edge of the swamp. They burst through the tree line and sprinted across the yard toward the structure. Josh continued on around the building and into the swamp beyond, carefully avoiding trip wires, while Garan paused near the building, hoping to lead the clan to believe he and Josh were both inside. Just as the werewolves broke out of the swamp, Garan dropped to the ground and rolled around the corner of the structure. The wolves went inside. Drop it, Garan thought, sending a mental signal to Ganda to drop the steel

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Blood Line roll over the opening. He pressed the button on the pump to start the sprinkler system, and then he ran as fast as he could into the swamp. Once he was safely in the trees, he would signal Jessie to use the remote. The howls and screams of the werewolves were deafening as the deadly silver mixture spewed from the overhead system. When Garan knew he was clear of shrapnel, he fired a shot into the ground—his signal to Jessie. The explosions in the building shook the ground like an earthquake, and a great fireball shot into the night sky as werewolves ignited, and the building was set ablaze. Garan and Josh waited to see if any of the werewolves escaped the inferno. Hearing heavy footfalls coming through the swamp, they took up positions behind trees and began firing. Werewolves howled and screamed, igniting into blue and red, yellow and white fireballs, and then sizzled in the black swamp water. Jessie held her pistol in both hands as she sat in darkness on Ganda's bed with the old woman behind her. Ganda had been a picture of serenity throughout the entire ordeal, while Jessie's heart beat like a drum. She could hear the battle outside, but she kept her promise and remained inside, waiting, worrying over Josh and Garan. She got to her feet and paced a circle, walking off some of the nervous energy. She opened her mouth to tell Ganda she couldn't stand the waiting when she heard a noise. Titling her head, she listened. Someone was coming up the stairs from the store. The doorknob began to turn. Jessie aimed both pistols and fired until they were empty, but that didn't stop the werewolves advance. As she paused to reload both weapons, the werewolves rushed through the door, attacking her before she could take aim.

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Rie McGaha Ganda didn't move, nor did she speak. Jessie fought for her life, making the sudden change to wolf, and taking two of the werewolves down with hard kicks to the groin followed by punches to their stomachs. But before she could celebrate her small victory, more werewolves swarmed into the apartment and she quickly found herself pinned to the floor. "Hello, Jessie." Hodge kneeled by her head. "You're looking well." The werewolves pulled her to her feet as she made the change to human. She stood before them, naked, but she was spitting mad and didn't care. "You sonofabitch!" Hodge laughed. "And you're still a little spitfire. I always liked that about you, Jessie. Such a fiery spirit!" "Fuck you!" "Hmm . . . ." He stroked her cheek. "That has crossed my mind," he said and ran his gaze over her naked body, "but this is business darlin', not pleasure, so I'll have to pass this time. We're just going to sit here and wait on Joshua and Garan to finish in the swamp, and then we’ll all have a little chat. All of us together." He pulled the string for the overhead light and turned toward Ganda. "It's been so long, Ganda." He held out his hand as if he expected her to shake it. "You don't look so well, are you ill?" "I'm fine, Hodge," she replied without taking his hand. "Swamp life suits me." "Yes, I imagine it does." He smiled then said, "Ah, here they come now." He turned toward the door that opened onto the veranda, as Garan and Josh slowly entered. "Garan, good to see you." Hodge seemed delighted. "And Josh, I presume? We haven't had the pleasure of meeting before, but I'm Hodge. Glad to meet you." Josh took a step toward the man, but Garan grabbed his arm and stopped

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Blood Line him. "Take it easy, kiddo," Garan said in a low voice. They were both out of ammunition, but he could see Jessie's pistols lying on the floor. He only hoped she wasn't out of ammo, as well. All he had to do was get his hands on the weapons before Hodge did. "Well, Hodge, what can we do for you?" Garan led Josh to the kitchen table and made him take a chair on the opposite side. He took a seat, too, between Josh and the wolves. "I want the formula for the bullets. You have wiped out my clan," he said and looked at the seven werewolves in the room with him. "This is what is left of us, but no matter, we can make more as soon as you give me the formula." "Well, that's going to be a problem," Garan said and folded his hands on the table in front of him. "I don't know the formula." "Maybe not, but your friends, here, do. You have something I want, Joshua, and I," Hodge said, letting a finger trail over Jessie's bare shoulder, "have something you want." Josh stood, knocking over his chair. "Get your fucking hands off her, you bastard!" "Josh," Garan said calmly, "sit down." He grabbed Josh's hand. "We want everyone to be safe here, don't we?" Josh shook off Garan's restraining hand, but nodded and backed off. Hodge bent over, picked up Jessie's pistols, dropped the magazines and checked to see if they were loaded. Apparently, they were, because he snapped the mags back into place and grinned. Then he pointed one pistol at Jessie and the other at Josh. "Now see, I could shoot you both, but I won't because you wouldn't be able to tell me anything and I need the information. I can kill you after you give it to me." He lowered the weapons, and then tapped his chin with one of them as if he were thinking about something. "But," he said, pointing a weapon at Garan and

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Rie McGaha Ganda, "if I shoot one of them, you will tell me, or I'll shoot the other one, as well. Now, Jessie, who should I shoot first, Garan or Ganda?" Jessie shot him a chilling glare, but he just smiled. "Not speaking to me? That's really too bad, darlin', as it leaves me to make the choice." He tapped his chin again. "I believe I'll kill Ganda first, as homage to Amcor." He pointed the gun at Ganda, who hadn't moved at all, and pulled the trigger. Jessie screamed. Josh and Garan both came to their feet. Hodge grinned, then instantly paled and took two steps backward. Ganda had made the change the instant Hodge had pulled the trigger. The sleek, black-furred wolf looked at her chest where the bullet had entered. Sticking a finger into the hole, she drew the spent bullet out of her body and the hole closed up on its own. She made the change back to human form and stood quietly, her dark gaze focused on Hodge. By changing to the wolf, Ganda had obviously reversed the aging process, and Jessie felt awed by her beauty. She had long, raven hair, and eyes as black as night. Her hair draped in front of her, covering her naked body. Her creamy, pale skin glowed. Her full, red lips curved slightly as she stepped forward and took the pistols from Hodge, tossing them to Garan. Ganda's change had obviously shocked them all, including the werewolves holding Jessie. They'd changed back to their human forms, apparently not even realizing as much until Jessie wrenched free from their grip and went to stand behind Joshua. "Hodge," Ganda said with a wicked gleam in her eye. "I think you may have underestimated me just a tad." She tossed the bullet from hand to hand, and smiled. "You see, Hodge, I can't be killed by these little pieces of metal. But you can, now can't you, darlin'?" Hodge stood mute, his expression stony. "Well then," Ganda said and smiled at Garan. "Take these beasts out of

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Blood Line here and do as you please with them. Josh, I suspect you'll be wanting to speak with Hodge on your own." Garan walked Hodge, and what was left of his clan, out onto the veranda, and Josh quickly followed. Jessie hurriedly dressed in the bathroom. She wanted to know what was going on outside, but she was also curious about Ganda. A few moments later, she re-entered the kitchen to find Ganda dressed in a low-cut, soft white gown with a golden girdle at the waist. Stunned by her beauty, Jessie found herself at a loss for words. "Would you like some tea, Jessie?" Ganda asked. Jess glanced toward the veranda door, but nodded and pulled out a chair to sit. She'd promised Josh she'd stay inside, no matter what, and besides, she really felt the need to sit down. Ganda smiled as she set a cup of tea in front of Jessie and took a seat. She patted Jessie's hand with her own. "Well, what do you think?" Jess didn't know what to think, or what to say. She blew out a breath and stared at Ganda for another moment. "I can't believe that you made the change after so many years trying to die! And you're so beautiful, why would you ever hide that?" "I had actually made the decision to change a few days ago. I've been watching you and Josh, and I started feeling that maybe life still held something for me. I also thought about what you said the other day, and I do want to see how the world has changed, first hand. I might even go back to my homeland, go visit Colin's resting place, and maybe even go back to Egypt and see if any of the old things remain there. Hodge just gave me the excuse I needed to make the change. I'm afraid I was procrastinating and acting like a coward over the whole thing. But now I've made the change and I'm glad of it." "Then I'm happy for you," Jessie said and drank from her cup, though she couldn't stop herself from glancing out the window.

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Rie McGaha "He'll be along shortly," Ganda said. "I hope so. I don't trust Hodge." "I suspect Hodge is wishing he'd never met either of you right about now." Ganda chuckled, her dark eyes flashing. Joshua followed Hodge deep into the swamp. Garan had quickly dispatched the other werewolves, but Josh had purposely allowed Hodge to run. He'd wanted to play with his prey for a moment, to enjoy the hunt, to give Hodge time to experience his fear to the fullest. He ducked through a particularly thick growth of underbrush, and nearly collided with Hodge. The other man stood in the middle of the clearing, obviously frozen in terror. Josh didn't hesitate. He took a flying leap, catching Hodge with both feet in the middle of his back. Hodge went down hard, flat on his face, and Josh was on him. Grabbing a handful of fur on the back of Hodge's head, he battered his face up and down in the black water. Hodge struggled to get up, but Josh used all his weight and held Hodge's head under water until there were no more bubbles. He pulled the werewolf to his feet and shook him until he opened his eyes. Wrapping his hand around the back of Hodge's head, Josh smashed him in the face, over and over again, until Hodge stumbled back and fell to his knees. But Josh wasn't finished. He dragged Hodge back to his feet, raining more blows, and when Hodge went down again, Josh landed on the werewolf's chest and pummeled his face with both hands. When Hodge quit moaning, Josh backed off and waited. Hodge made the change to man and Josh changed as well. "Now listen." Hodge held up both hands. "We can settle this some other way." "I don't think so." Josh's lip curled into a snarl.

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Blood Line "Joshua, I've got riches you've never dreamed of. You can have them." "I've got all I need.” Josh took a menacing step forward. "You'd be able to give Jessie anything her heart desires," Hodge said. "Oh, I'm going to do that." Josh had enough. He advanced on Hodge and beat him until he lost consciousness, relishing every blow. Then, he made the change to wolf, grabbed Hodge by one leg, and dragged the man back to Ganda's. Jessie, Ganda, and Garan stood on the veranda as Josh dropped Hodge in the yard. "Hey, babe," Josh said after he’d changed to human. "Toss me a pair of jeans." Jessie disappeared inside then came back out a moment later with a pair of pants and tossed them over the railing. Josh caught the Levi's and shoved his legs into them. "I brought you a present." He grinned. "I thought maybe you'd have a thing or two to say to him." "I sure do." Jessie ran down the stairs, a Gurka in her hand. When she reached the yard, she confronted Hodge by kicking him in the teeth. He fell to his knees. "You sonofabitch! Stand up." Joshua pulled Hodge to his feet. "I believe my wife wants you on your feet." "Jess," Hodge said. "You will never speak to me again, you bastard," she said through gritted teeth. Then with one swipe of the Gurka, Jessie removed Hodge's head from his shoulders. It began to sizzle and spark then ignited. A fireball shot into the air. The corpse on the ground flamed for a little while, and then black ash floated away on the breeze. Jessie looked to Josh, and when he opened his arms, she fell into them and

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Rie McGaha he held her close. "It's over then, Josh?" she asked. He nodded. "I think it is. We're safe now." He looked up at Garan and Ganda on the veranda, and they both nodded and smiled. "Come on, Jess. Let's go upstairs." ***** They sat together at the table with drinks in their hands. They toasted one another and smiled. "What now?" Josh asked Garan and Ganda. "Well," said Garan, "I'm going home and I'm not leaving for at least a year!" "Your wife will like that." Josh laughed. "You're married?" Jessie said with such disbelief in her voice that they all laughed. "Nearly twenty-eight years," Garan said with a grin. "What about you, Ganda? What are you going to do now?" She smiled serenely. "I'm going to travel. And I would like you and Jessie to stay here and mind the store while I'm gone." "We'd love to," Josh said and Jess nodded her agreement. Chapter Twenty-Five Ganda chose to travel by ship. It was a familiar mode of transportation, as opposed to flying, which was definitely not familiar. She wasn't up to giving that a try just yet. She was heading to Ireland to visit Colin's homeland, to visit Colin's final resting place. It was the last place she'd been before she decided to remain human until she died, so now that she'd decided to live, it would be the

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Blood Line place she began. As the Irish coast came into view, her hands began to shake, and she took a deep breath. It was a stunning sight. The rocky shores, the lush, green valleys shrouded in mist, and tiny rainbows formed by the weak sunlight gave the land an otherworldly, magical quality. I've missed this place, she thought, as she disembarked the ship and walked onto the dock. Even though the island had changed, Ireland still felt familiar to her. Welcoming. Jessie had helped with all the travel arrangements, making reservations on her laptop computer. Her ship ticket, her hotel, everything had been set up for her before she left the states. She checked into her hotel, pausing only long enough to shower and change. Back in the lobby, the doorman hailed a cab for her. She gave the driver the address and settled into the seat, gazing out at the passing landscape as they sped toward the country. The cabbie pulled into the cemetery drive and stopped. Ganda asked him to wait and walked across the grass, the breeze caressing her face. Her hands were shaking now, so she slowed her pace. Taking a deep breath, she stood before the gravestone and read the inscription. Her husband's name, the inscription beloved husband of Ganda, the date of his death, but not his birth, were carved into the stone. So old, she thought, and weathered by centuries of rain and wind. Kneeling, she placed her hand on the stone as tears rolled down her face. "Oh, Colin, I've missed you so very much. It's been so many years now, but it still hurts as if it was yesterday. I tried to join you my love, but . . . ." She sighed. "I guess I didn't have the strength, after all. I hope you know how much I love you. Then and now." She rose, kissed her fingertips and pressed them to the stone. "Till we meet again, my love." She turned away and walked back to the cab.

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Rie McGaha

***** Ganda spent a week in Ireland getting to know the place again, remembering what was as she looked at what stood in its place now. She found herself smiling through tears as she remembered the places she'd seen with Colin, the places they'd made love, how they'd laughed and had seen only forever in the other's eyes. Bittersweet memories flooded her mind and as much as her heart ached from the pain of loss, it also swelled with the love she remembered sharing with Colin. After Ireland, she went to Europe to walk the forests of her father's homeland, to visit her mother's people, and finally, to stand in the circle where her mother took her father from wolf to man. The same spot where she'd spread their commingled ashes. She stood with her arms out and her hair whipped in the violent wind that blew around her. The air shimmered, and she opened her eyes to see that she was in the world beyond. Her mother's family, her own blood, her heredity, greeted her there, and they embraced one another. They welcomed her, they nurtured her, and she rested, until she achieved a place of perfect peace in her mind. Several months passed, as mortals reckon time, before Ganda came back to the mortal world. She'd needed the reprieve before going on to Egypt where Colin had died. She knew she had to go as much as she wished she did not. The ancient land was calling to her, and she knew she must answer, and face her ancient blood.

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