BOOK ONE - promised series
When a new family moves to Everett Valley, Catherine vows to find out what they are searching for in her secluded hometown that doesn't normally welcome new people.
Catherine must choose between the council and her pack le...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Once nightfall rolled in and the crescent moon illuminated the star-scattered sky, my brothers and I headed home. Walking the way home in a peaceful silence, my thoughts drifted into nothingness whilst my body relished the feeling of being at complete ease.
I let all negativity pour out of me and float into the night sky as fresh air filled my lungs.
Ah, how good it felt to breathe properly!
My brothers seemed affected by my serenity and gulped it up like water on a hot summer day. Glad that I could help them forget their problems, I let my ocean move freely without it's usual confinements.
"Thanks for sharing," Reece muttered once we stepped onto the front porch and sat down at the little wooden table, facing the forest in front of us.
I liked to think about the great cities on the other side of the Denhid Forest, what the people would look like and the culture they lived in. I had never been beyond the Denhid Forest, just like everyone else on the western side of the great forest. It was said that no one had ever survived a journey through the entirety of it. Everett Forest was tiny in comparison.
My brother Reece had always told me old stories about evil Immortals taking up residence in a very big section of Denhid, killing off any intruder that wished to pass through.
The Great Count Barranen, an eight-hundred year old Immortal had ventured into the forest with his fangs bared, a black, slithery cloak swaying behind him. Unnamed creatures snuck up on him one night, when the forest was at its darkest, and tore him apart. He'd fought until his last breath, even lost a fang during battle, until he realised his strength was no match for the beasts that tore him into shreds.
Even years later, hundreds of Immortals ventured into the Denhid Forest, wanting to avenge Count Barranen and were able to beat the monsters only because of their numbers. They took up residence thereafter.
Legends say those beasts were shifter wolves.
I wasn't sure about that part of the story—wolves tended to remain wherever their pack was, and every important pack had their territory that no sane leader would give up willingly. The Denhid Forest was crowded with trees, there wasn't much space for shifters to be able to settle there. Besides, there were only four main packs living in secret behind the Denhid Forest, cut off from the outside world which was, apparently, dominated by humans.
"We've been talking," Reece suddenly piped up and steered me out of my little world of historical thoughts.
Seemingly interested, Emmet perked up beside me. We both looked at our older brother.
"You must keep this to yourself though. This is not allowed to reach anyone else's ears, understand?"
He looked around anxiously for signs of any intruders. "Promise me this will stay between us."
