Page 3 of Toward Immortal Ruin

Swinging his head around, he spotted the only alleyway within sight. He spun, tearing off toward the dark space between buildings, his heart pounding with adrenaline.

The low light didn’t compromise his vision. A wolf had gotten away from them and had found a human woman. As Nero sprinted toward them, the beast lunged.

Chapter Two

Eyes followed her inthe darkness.

The woman in the firetruck red coat stuffed her hands in her pockets, desperate for a reprieve from the brisk February chill. Snow-encrusted boots plodded on the icy pavement as Eden Hawthorne swiftly made her way home.

Her small apartment was a haven two floors above a flower shop. As picturesque as it had sounded, it’d also been the only space a penny-pinching scholar could afford without having to share with another. And because this was Chicago, the exorbitant rent still had her skirting the poverty line.

Her breath misted in the air as she readjusted the heavy laptop bag against her hip.

While she could walk all the way around the remaining two blocks until home—and had many times—the slim alleyway between buildings would be shorter. Eden grimaced. In good weather, she didn’t mind the extra distance, but it was frigid outside, and her feet ached. It was a shortcut kind of night.

She strode into the dark space, her movements betraying her apprehension. Every nook and cranny became fodder for herimagination, and she couldn’t stop from creating a detailed escape plan for any danger that might come her way.

Eden had always been a planner. As she walked through the alleyway, her hypervigilant ways came screaming back into focus. She calculated exactly how to evade a robber that might be hiding behind the dumpster or dodge a stray bullet from a drive by that might come whizzing her way.

In the dark, each shadow screamed danger. As she approached the end of the forgotten path, the tension ebbed from her weary shoulders.

An errant howl whispered over the Windy City.

Pausing abruptly mid-step, Eden accidentally let the bag slip from her shoulder, causing it to tumble into the slush at her feet. Her laptop would be safe inside the waterproof compartment, but her papers were most likely ruined.

An already long day had just become longer. All she wanted was the comfort of her wingback chair, a fuzzy fleece blanket, and a steaming cup of hot chocolate. Eden scowled as she slung the muddy leather strap across her chest and took one step forward.

And froze.

There, standing before her, was a wolf. Eden tried to blame her tired eyes for the impossible threat that was less than thirty feet away. This was one scenario she hadn’t planned for.

The sheer size of the animal instantly disqualified it from being a dog. Even the largest of canines bore no resemblance to the one in front of her. The animal’s angular features, refined into a wild silhouette that was impossible to mistake, were backlit by the streetlights. Pitch-black fur, matted and mangy, roughed over the huge frame. The wolf’s mouth opened to reveal stained yellow teeth, tinged blue in the darkness. It seemed surreal, but his eyes glowed.

The overwhelming urge to bolt skittered through her, but her fear-locked legs wouldn’t comply. Even her lungs refused to draw in breath. She couldn’t outrun the creature. There was no doorway nearby, and she had nothing to defend herself with. Her mind raced back through the brief research she’d done on wild wolves, and the only thing she could remember was that she should maintain eye contact.

That was when the wolf began to stalk her like prey.

When a growl loosened from its throat, adrenaline kicked into Eden’s system, releasing her from the panic response. Scrambling backwards, uncoordinated and lurching, she focused on the animal coming at her.

In three strides, the wolf launched itself into the air, its jaws open and aimed at her throat. On instinct, Eden’s forearm came up to defend herself as the massive animal slammed into her like a freight train. It knocked the wind out of her on impact. Unable to scream, she could do nothing as the weight of the wolf pushed her backward into the ground.

Devastating pressure locked like a vice around her forearm as fangs seared into the skin beneath her peacoat. The beast had pinned her to the ground, and all she could think was how she’d die even earlier than she’d expected.

With a yelp, the weight left her.

Eden’s arms and legs were suddenly scrambling toward the shadow behind a dumpster she’d spied earlier. The sounds of fighting erupted behind her, but she didn’t turn back to look. Her heavy laptop bag, still slung across her chest, yanked her off kilter, but she recognized it for what it was: her only weapon.

Spinning, her back hit the brick wall. A man wielding some type of axe was attempting to kill the wolf, but the beast was fast and quickly joined by another. When the first animal launched itself into the air, the man buried his axe in its neck, but the new arrival took advantage.

Its foaming jaws snapped around the man’s leg, yanking him off balance. He went down hard, landing on the icy pavement with a grunt.

Eden didn’t even think; she leapt up from her crouch and raced toward them. She grabbed her bag and swung it like a baseball bat directly into the wolf’s head. The sickening sound of it connecting with flesh ricocheted through the alley.

The fallen man didn’t miss the opportunity. In a move too quick to track, the man had ended the beast’s life before Eden could even gasp. All she could do was stare at the dead wolf lying still at her feet.

Her fingers shook, whether from adrenaline or cold she couldn’t tell, as they clenched into the supple leather of the bag. Eden’s breath came in gulps now, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t stifle the ragged gasps.

“Are you okay?”

---