THE AWAKENING

Cassandra’s padded feet put miles between herself and the vile clan Barrachius’ Alpha, Ulster, but she couldn’t escape the
waves of shuddering revulsion that rolled beneath her pale white fur. The crisp night air invigorated and cleansed even as her
heart wept over what she’d done.
Oh, how she hated the Phase!
What demented higher power had put together their species and thought it would be great fun if the female of their kind fucked
anything that walked when they were in the Phasing period of their cycle?
Cassandra wanted to howl the song in her heart that cried of shame and loathing and grief, but she had to keep moving.
If Ulster managed to catch her, she’d find no mercy — not that she’d ask for any — his rotten heart was incapable of
compassion, only sadistic lust.
And she might’ve just conceived his child. She stumbled as the horrifying thought nearly sent her tumbling to the frost-bitten
ground but she recovered and regained her speed.
She wouldn’t think of that. Not right now. Safety first. Everything else came second.
Ulster was likely gaining his forces, hot on her heels. Now that he’d tasted her, he’d never give up. Cassandra had caught a
glimpse of his mind, felt his insanity and he was obsessed with her.
More specifically, he’d been obsessed with her birth mother. The fact that Cassandra was some mystical being according to their
legends was simply a bonus.
Ulster had been enraged that Cassandra’s mother had run off and left her pack to join with the enemy, a man from clan Janus.
Somehow she had to find Jandin and Koris — hell, even that cold-hearted, achingly beautiful vampire Cristophe would be a
welcome sight — but the bitter night gave no clue as to where she was, only her fear that Ulster wasn’t far behind pushed her to
continue.
She didn’t know how long she’d been running but suddenly, her nose picked up a familiar scent and her heart thrilled with wild,
almost hysterical hope.
Jandin and Koris! The twins! Pushing herself beyond her exhaustion, she ran straight toward the scent, following the trail as if it
were a physical thing, drifting on the cold night air as a light blue ribbon that twisted and curled through the heavy forest.

Her light sensitive eyes picked up the illumination from the moon, bathing the landscape in a ghostly watery glow that
mesmerized her savage heart.
She was of two minds: human and beast while her body was wholly beast. The sharp chill barely permeated her thick coat and
the rough terrain was no match for the tough calluses of her paws.
Seventy-two hours ago she hadn’t even known of her unique heritage; tonight she’d become the stuff of nightmares.
The irony that she’d never owned a pet in her life and yet now someone might mistake her for one if they saw her running past
would’ve made her laugh if she hadn’t been close to dissolving into bone-racking sobs.
She broke the clearing and a large modern home of steel and thick glass rose before her, casting deep imposing shadows and
causing her to skid to a stop.
Her tongue lolled as she panted hard, her ribs heaving from the exertion of the flat-out run of her escape. She thought of Arja,
the injured woman who’d been kind to her within Clan Barriachius, and she made a vow to try and help her, no matter what
happened.
She couldn’t leave Arja at the mercy of Ulster. The older woman might not survive his rage and disappointment at losing
Cassandra.
She shuddered as the realization hit her that it might already be too late for Arja. Cassandra bolted for the house but didn’t
account for the guards that sprang into her path, snarling and threatening to rip her throat out.
She bared her teeth and backed off slowly, watching the wolves that advanced, pushing her away from the house.
Her canine mouth couldn’t form words and she didn’t know how to change back into her human form — hell, she didn’t know
how she’d changed into a wolf in the first place — but she knew she had to get into that house.
Cassandra lifted her nose and sniffed the air, reaffirming that Jandin and Koris were near. She let out a mournful howl,
expressing her fear and frustration in that piercing sound. The wolves froze and suddenly, their ears swiveled as they took off
running in the opposite direction, leaving Cassandra baffled but gratefully alone.
But she soon realized, she wasn’t alone.