Lone Wolf Rising (Paranormal Romantic Thriller) (The Winters Series)

Lone Wolf Rising

Written by Jami M
Brumfield

T
his book was written for you, the reader.  Without you, the book would simply be words on a page.  Your interest in reading this book and your imagination helps to embellish upon the world described within these pages.  For that alone I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

I would also like to say thank you to some of my very dear friends whose feedback
 helped to enhance the story and characters to the next level.  Thank you, Amanda Heiderman and Robert Cable.

I would be remiss in not mentioning what an invaluable asset Michele Gwynn
 has been in editing the pages of this book.  Her talent can be seen in the continuity, consistency, and grammar of page after page.   

It is also imp
ortant to mention the part my husband, best friend, and constant supporter, Gary, has been throughout the entire process of writing this book.  His motivation and belief in the story and my talent was a driving force behind the completion of this novel.

*Please note this book is fictional.  The characters and places in the book are not based off any living person or actual business.  The characters were created by the author, Jami M Brumfield, who holds the [email protected] to this book and the characters.  Any reproduction, small or large, from this book requires permission from the author.

Dear Reader,
             

I'd
like to tell you I'm a normal teenager on her way to graduating high school with average marks but those would be lies.  Apparently, I'm a witch.  Unfortunately, I was never told I came from a powerful witch line.  But that doesn't mean the supernatural world didn't find me or, if I'm being honest, I found it.  It wasn't that difficult, I mean, my best friend is a psychic so stumbling upon werewolves and vampires was going to happen sooner or later.  But did you know there's a lot more out there than those two species?  

It was a grueling process, but after an exhausting test period, the local
Arizona pack alpha, Tomas Black, agreed to give me the bite.  Now to be honest, I put a lot of thought into becoming a werewolf.  The bite alone could kill you, but if you survive it, well let's say there are a lot of advantages; advantages I planned to use to help me find my parents' killer.

There's just one problem.
  Two days before my first transformation my entire pack was massacred.  And according to the Authority rules, that made me the new alpha - an alpha of a non-existent pack; a lone alpha in the middle of a deadly war between werewolves and vampires.  You're probably thinking "poor Becca", but the plot twists to my life's story don't end there.  There are others to take into consideration.

There is the irresistible protector assigned to help me get acclimated
 into this new world, Lucky La Mont.  The irritatingly cocky rogue wolf, Gabriel Black, who has decided he is my mate!  My mate?  I'm only seventeen!  Who makes that kind of commitment at seventeen?  My twin sister, Savvy, and younger brother, Hunter, are tied up in their own drama and inevitably pull me into there messes which include drugs and homecoming.  And don't get me started on Sundae and Natalia.  But the biggest problem is my new alter ego, the alpha wolf, who thinks she is better than me and is incessantly ordering me around.  It’s like a warzone in my head.  If anyone knew how much I talked to myself or my wolf, they would probably commit me to a mental hospital.  The unbelievable part is this is normal for werewolves. 

The biggest obstacle I will need to face doesn't happen until the
 night of homecoming.  This is the first of three tales.  The series chronicles the challenges Savvy, Hunter and I face as we learn to grow up in the magical world that exists side by side with the humans. 

Sincerely,

Rebecca Elizabeth Winters

Arizona
Pack Alpha in training

Chapter One

 
~”
Destiny is not a matter of chance; it is a matter of choice.  It is not a thing to be waited for; it is a thing to be achieved.”

~William
Jennings Bryan

Rebecca
 

The early morning chill was Rebecca Winter’s alarm clock; her body covered in goose bumps and little else.  A shiver ran through her from head to toe as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes.  She looked around noting the ever-brightening light of dawn. The splashes of reds, oranges, and pinks were a vibrant contrast against the dark sky
. 
The brightness was winning and a part of her was grateful nighttime found its ending.

A metallic tang in her mouth caused a retching response from her stomach and she vomited.  Evidence of the meal lay beside her head; a rabbit carcass ripped to shreds.  A touch of sadness played across her mind as she felt pity for the animal’s lost life.  The knowledge that she was; in a way, responsible for the animal’s death made matters worse.  She caressed the soft fur and noticed the body was still warm.  It was a stark contrast to her cold, shaky hands.

The reality of the day started crashing down on her.  She turned her attention to figuring out where she was.  A quick survey of her surroundings told her she wasn’t far from where her journey started last night.  That inkling of knowledge caused her to wonder why her legs felt like she had ran twenty miles.

“Oh, my God!”  Jackson Carter came to an abrupt stop behind Rebecca.  His sudden movement kicked up a dusty sand storm that formed a cloud around her naked body.  “For all that is holy, Becca, put some clothes on!”  He
threw her a pair of worn jeans and a dark blue tank top.  “You must be freezing.” 

Rebecca snatched up the clothes quickly and covered her body.  She tossed a quick glance over her shoulder at her old friend; thankful he came up behind her which allowed her a modicum
of modesty.  “Do you mind turning around Jacks?”  Irritation flavored her words; the taste bittersweet. 

He slapped his hand against his forehead, grinned, and spun around on his heels.  “Sorry, you know your virtue’s safe with me.”  The good natured humor lacing his words put her at ease for the first time since she woke up and having him there only helped to ease her disorientation.  He was like a be
acon in the early morning hours calling her home from a night of being lost at sea. 

It really happened.  Last night
was the beginning of her new life; a life she knew would be troublesome to navigate, but she knew she was up for the challenge.  She made the choice to become this supernatural creature.  She knew there was no turning back.  She wasn’t one of those people who claimed they were cursed; cried they were unfairly made the monster they became.  No, she happily embraced the idea of becoming who she was now.

Rebecca slipped on her clothes with abnormal speed.  He was right.  The cold was beginning to affect her.  Goosebumps had turned into shivers.  She fluffed her wavy blond hair over her shoulders and smiled, “It’s safe to turn around now.” 

She gave one last glance at the rabbit carcass, taking note of the circling birds overhead and the four legged scavengers surrounding them in four directions.  Even the insects that covered the bloody area were serving a purpose. 
Nature worked
quick
ly in cleaning up her mess.  In a strange way it was reassuring
.  She said a small prayer
for its soul as she followed Jacks back toward civilization. 

During the short trek to
Jackson’s vehicle Rebecca scanned the horizon, looking for signs of others like her.  The oddness of the situation made her feel uneasy.  It created a nagging feeling in her gut as she wondered where the others were.  It was eerily quiet.  It worried her and created a strange feeling that something was terribly wrong.  She was positive that Dianna planned to be with her last night.  They discussed it two days ago.  Dianna was her sponsor; a good sponsor.  After everything they had been through; it surprised Rebecca that Dianna was nowhere to be found.  Hell, Dianna was practically a member of her family at this point.

The lack of her presence only increased the odd feeling that she was trying to overcome.  When Dianna made a promise, she kept that promise.  Her worry over her missing friend did little to block the memories that were coming back slowly from the night before.  The physical and vivid memories twisted her insides, making her sick; again.  She placed one hand on the hood of Jacks’ yellow Jeep as more of last night’s adventure pushed its way out of her stomach, out her throat, and onto the ground, narrowly missing her bare feet.  She hadn’t even noticed her feet were bare until that moment. 

Jacks groaned and headed toward the driver’s side of the Jeep.  “Thanks for keeping that mess out of the vehicle.” He rolled down the passenger side window and grinned as he passed her a wet wipe.  He was always grinning, always happy.  It was a strange contradiction to the gift he had, but welcomed, nonetheless. 

Rebecca rolled her sapphire blue eyes and took the white cloth with a weak smile.  She used it to clean her face and mouth, surprised at the amount of dirt that covered the cloth when she was done.  Blurred memories filled her mind but little came out clear, only the gut-wrenching pain of the transformation.  The pain was something she didn’t think she would ever forget.  Every nerve, fiber, and cell in her body had ripped, shredded apart and maneuvered into a new shape.  She was sure that was something she would remember for a very long time.  Rebecca had assumed her body would’ve shut down the pain receptors when it became unbearable, but that was not the case.  She felt everything.