Page 59 of Forbidden Wolf

“Black.”

“He’s strong then, unpredictable, and his wolf will be vicious.”

“I don’t understand how the soul of his wolf is here…” My voice trailed off in confusion.

“I’ve read a lot of ancient lore over the years on both our species. Some believe that the lycans are two parts of the one whole. Maybe he has found a way to temporarily separate the two.”

When did Mum become so knowledgeable about wolves?

She smiled, as if she’d heard my thoughts. “I’ve spent centuries studying wolves and all the aspects of them. That includes the characteristics of their colouring and how they interact with their packs. Black wolves are rare and dreaded because the power they contain drives them insane in the end.”

“Mum.”

She moved her attention to me.

“The master hellspawn.”

Her top teeth bit into her bottom lip and her shoulders slumped. “Some hellspawn are masters over certain domains or powers. They claim female vampires with gifts to feed from. My connection with the hellspawn who claimed me allowed me to mask your presence in the past, but neither of you are little girls anymore. You need to run, Tasha, far and fast. Castus will not be able to protect you here if a master wants you.”

“He’s already outside in the forest.” My voice sounded dead even to me.

“If a master has chosen you, then there is no way to change his mind. I’m sorry, Tasha.”

“He was the voice I heard when I was young. He knew who I was when I met him,” I said.

“He must be powerful.”

“He can take me, instead,” Kimber said in a dull tone, turning away from her burnt images. Her shoulders were slumped in defeat.

Mum crouched beside her, tugging her into her embrace and kissing her forehead. “It doesn’t work like that, baby. You didn’t hear the voices until you were older. He’s been searching for Tasha for a long time.”

“Why does this hellspawn and Castus both want Tasha?” Kimber asked, her brow furrowing. “How is she different than me?”

“She’s not different, Kimber. She has gifts just like you do, but Tasha has resisted using them while you never fully suppressed them.”

“I don’t understand.” Kimber shook her head in confusion.

Mum lifted one of the images that she’d dropped on the floor. “You’ve given Castus everything that he wants without question. There is nothing more he can gain from you.”

“Is that not a good thing?” Kimber looked to me, chewing the side of her mouth.

Mum led her to sit on the edge of the bed. “Every vampire with these special gifts possesses a slightly different variation of them. Tasha connects with souls. I think that might be why her mate can send his wolf to her. You are a visionary who can see what is happening right now along with snippets of the future. I have always been able to hear thoughts and sometimes plant ideas in people’s heads. Occasionally I see glimpses of the future when I least expected them and notice auras because those gifts activated in me when I was pregnant with each of you. You shared your talents with me while I carried you.”

I wished I knew all this years ago. Mum had answers to questions both Kimber and I needed to know.

“Castus has been using you to spy on others, Kimber. That needs to stop, or he will continue capturing innocent women that you paint.”

Kimber’s eyes were huge and filled with tears, one escaping to trickle down her cheek. “But he’ll hurt me. Why does the hellspawn want Tasha?”

My sister had always been childlike and innocent.

“Because he caught Tasha’s scent long ago when she heard his voice,” Mum replied. “She’s intrigued him and now he wants her.”

The shutters slowly opened to reveal the velvety darkness outside, the sun disappearing for another day. I wandered to the window. Red auras were emerging from wherever they’d hidden during the day. Silver auras were leaving the castle to enter the forest.

“He’s out there,” I whispered, sensing his darkness, even though I couldn’t see it yet.

“If he’s here, then he has already planned the attack, Tasha.” Mum wrapped her arm around my waist. “Why did you ask for me?”

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