Prologue
Effie Harlow
Sweat broke out on the back of my neck as a wave of nausea washed over me, terror saturating every element of my being.
I kept running though. I forced myself to keep sprinting at full speed through the dark forest that was so different from where I lived.
In the distance, I could hear the taunting calls of the entities that had pulled me here in the first place.
That had pulled me away from my mom and dad.
Why hadn’t they saved me? Did they not realize I was gone?
Why had I been ripped from my home? What had I done to deserve this?
My legs grew tired, but I kept pushing myself until I finally broke into a clearing.
Underneath me wasn’t grass, though—it was pavement, and there were metal structures placed throughout, the light from above glinting off their array of colors.
Where was I?
Turning back towards the forest, I realized the taunting had stopped.
The fear of immediate danger had subsided, and I took that as a sign that I was safe…
At least for now. I wrapped my arms around myself as a harsh wind ripped over my skin, making me feel almost breathless—but that wasn’t what caused chills to roll up my spine.
No, it was the piercing howl of a beast.
My heart began to beat fast as I stepped back, away from the wild landscape and towards the metal structures.
I could faintly pick up the sound of paws hitting the ground, and I knew I had to run.
I turned to look at a series of buildings in the distance, faintly visible on the horizon from my elevated position.
Was that a city? I had never seen a city like this one before.
It looked stark against the night skyline, and in the air the scent of iron and water seemed to permeate everything.
I found myself not wanting to go there. I wanted to go home…
but that wasn’t an option. I looked up at the moon as my eyes watered, practically begging for some help. Praying for some help.
I reached inside myself, trying to call on the internal connection that normally existed, and winced, realizing it had been harshly severed.
A sob nearly broke from my throat in both frustration and fear, but the sound of crunching leaves and snapping twigs caused my heart to go double-time as I refocused on the world around me.
That was when an obsidian wolf, its fur streaked with gold, emerged from the forest, its black eyes locking on mine.
Normally, that wouldn’t have scared me, I knew many wolves, but I could tell this one was different.
This wolf was young like myself, but far more powerful than I would have expected, and a hurricane of energy seemed to surround them.
One that terrified me more than even the entities in the forest. This wolf was the true unknown—the true threat.
I stayed rooted to my spot, not giving in to the urge to run, knowing it would only cause the wolf to chase after me.
“Please don’t hurt me,” I whispered as the beast stalked forward, a low growl emanating from its chest.
I expected the worst when the wolf approached me, a scared whine working its way from my throat. But when it simply butted its large head against my stomach, I nearly collapsed at the relief, feeling my adrenaline dip as exhaustion coated every part of me.
“Thank you,” I sighed, my voice weak. I felt my knees collapse, and the cold, hard ground beneath me hurt my body, causing a chill to push through it like I’d never experienced before.
The wolf walked around me before sitting and placing its head down on my lap.
I ran my fingers through its fur as I tried to clear my head and think through this situation.
“What do I do?” I asked out loud before looking up at the sky.
“How did this happen?” Everything had been so normal today.
It had been my birthday, and the feast we’d had stretched from early morning until evening…
When chaos erupted. I felt sick to my stomach remembering the screams, and that was when I’d been ripped away from my home.
Before I could make sure my family was okay.
Panic slammed into me. Was that why they weren’t helping me? Could they not? Were they in trouble? The wolf let out a concerned whimper, and I looked down at them and tried to find some resolve.
Okay, so apparently I was stuck here for a bit.
I tried to recall what I knew about this place from my past studies.
It was where all four wolf types resided, as well as kitsune.
It was where humans resided. It was where someone like me would stand out—I knew that.
So how would I fit in? I knew my magic was obvious because it worked as a natural part of myself, and my other forms had yet to emerge…
but there was no way I could fake being lycan, totemic, or fenrir.
They had such a strong magic association with their past.
So…bitten? Could I pull off being a bitten wolf and just not shift?
I ran a hand over my neck as I met the gaze of the wolf trying to keep me warm.
I had to assume they were bitten, but I honestly didn’t know.
I may have had some book smarts, but when it came to the other stuff, like recognizing it in person, I wasn’t nearly as talented.
“You need to bite me.”
The wolf let out an unhappy sound and placed its head down on my lap. I fixed it with a look, frowning. “You have to. If those things come after me again… I need to hide. Come on, please?”
After a moment of examination, the wolf stood and let out a small rumble, its eyes darting to my throat. I didn’t want to do this, really. But I had to trust my instincts that this would at least help, so I moved my hair.
I clasped one hand around the necklace resting on the base of my throat, feeling a trace of that connection to my family, the one that had been so severely damaged. I prayed that it didn't mean… No, I couldn’t think like that.
The wolf’s eyes darted to my neck, and a whimper left its throat, as if it really didn’t want to do this. Apparently, this wolf was far less vicious than I’d originally thought.
Maybe I thought that too soon, though, because with a sudden force it lunged forward, and I felt teeth pierce my flesh. It hurt. I’d expected that. But what I hadn’t expected? My magic to rebound.
It blasted through the two of us, and my colorful, warm world, tainted by the darkness of the night, turned cold in scales of gray. I felt everything narrow to a pinpoint before going dark, my memories fading with my consciousness.