In Blood We Trust: Awaken The Goddess Book 1

Welcome to a realm where magical entities and humans have coexisted in harmony for centuries. Love comes in many variations, shapes, colors, sizes, and species. However, as is often the case, perfection is elusive. Evil finds a way to seep through the fissures, prompting the emergence of heroes determined to restore the world’s peaceful balance.

CHAPTER 1

It Was All A Dream

DENALI {Den-Nah-Lee}

Cedar mingled with sandalwood engulfed my senses causing my body to respond as if in the company of a long-desired lover. My flesh tingled all over; my nipples were so stiff they stung. My body was hot, too fucking hot. Between my thighs was an intense throbbing that matched the rhythm of my rapidly beating heart.

So wet, my Goddess! What’s happening to me? Was I going into heat?

I couldn’t fight the urge to touch myself, closing my eyes in surrender to whatever this was—reaching down into my saturated panties, caressing the engorged bud between lust-swollen folds. Scorching with ecstasy as I exploded from an orgasm so hard, I immediately became lightheaded. Ripple after ripple rolled through my body causing my thighs to tremble and beads of sweat to form over my heated skin. A low sensual growl from a voice I didn’t recognize whispered close to my ear,

“Mine.” Warm breath caressed the side of my face and neck. I mean this shit felt real!

My eyes flew open searching for the source, only to see golden glowing eyes the color of dripping honey glistening in sunlight. The intensity and power radiating from them were intimidating, but I wanted to see more. I needed to feel more.

“Mine!” boomed a thunderous roar that reverberated around me, while enormous canine fangs plunged deep into one of my breasts.

“What the fuck!” I cried out, fighting through the tangle of sheets, grasping my breasts, praying they were both still there, and releasing a deep sigh of relief to find them still intact. This time it felt frighteningly real, too real.

Frantically, I searched around once more to see if I was spewing out blood like a horror movie victim. Finally, finding nothing but the leftover sensation of a dream bite. I took deep breaths to slow my racing heart, but the throb between my thighs was unnerving. My underwear and bed were soaked.

Standing a little too quickly, I gripped my sleigh bed frame for balance, before staggering to the linen closet grabbing sheets to freshen my bed. I took a shower and hopped back in bed, but I couldn’t sleep. I needed to add this dream to my journal to try to make sense of them. They seem more like visions and have gotten stronger, even more over the past few weeks living in the town of Crimson Falls.

The dreams started after I went rogue almost a year and a half ago. I used to have them when I was a little girl, but it was always a protective vibe. Nothing serious, just golden eyes and a feeling of power void of fear. Yet, tonight was different, the most realistic one I have experienced thus far. This was the first-time sex entered the arena, and my virgin ass wanted it. I could feel him, smell him, the effect he had over my body in the dream state and when awake. The loss of control scares the hell out of me, but this person felt safe for some reason, or I could be just losing my damned mind.

In any case, I had no time to focus on looking to see if he did exist. I have been on the run for a crime I committed in self-defense which forced me to abandon my pack. I fought the false Alpha who was dead set on forcing me to submit to his perverse lust for power. I had no intention of giving into the disgusting desires of the man who was called my uncle, Zander Masters.

He returned from the hunt without my father, Alpha Lucas Bloodstone, or his Beta, my uncle Nathan Craven. They were out scouting due to reports of suspicious activity throughout the neighboring packs. I knew in my heart that something was off when my father sent his final message to us.

My mother couldn’t mind-link with him for two days or anyone else who went along on the journey from our pack. Until we heard a weak voice whisper, ‘Don’t trust him’, though our link, moments before he arrived on our doorstep. We had no time to escape. Somehow, he could sense my mother knew of his betrayal.

Zander burst through the doors bringing several heavily armed men and the brisk wintery night’s wind with him. His arrogant burly frame filled the room like a dark shadow. His hungry dull blue gaze quickly found mine, forcing me to look away from his smug expression. I never liked him.

“Hello sweetheart,” He greeted, his voice making me cringe in disgust.

Bringing me back to all of the times he stood too close and touched me inappropriately saying it was just a mistake or being playful. I honestly hated him despite not being characteristic of me to use that word for someone. He is the exception.

Though his body was rotund, he was strong and agile. Bald with bushy ginger brows and an unkempt beard to match. His scent was a pungent mix of dry rot, and stale bread, which caused my stomach to churn. He was no match for my father, he knew that.

Too much of a coward to fight him for the title of Alpha, which is why he resorted to trickery.

His henchmen barged in from every direction, utterly indifferent to the destruction they left in their wake. This included the desecration of my grandparents’ urns, which were shattered when their ancestral altar was toppled over. He must have offered random rogues membership into the pack for their blind allegiance to him. Some dark rogues survived by consuming humans and other supernatural beings. Their scent was tainted with the stench of rotting flesh with skin dull, ashen gray and full black voids for eyes.

A woman dressed in a long black cloak emerged from behind Zander into the living room’s center, moving with the sinuous grace of a serpent. She was a witch, and unmistakably an evil one with the presence of something more sinister within her. I wasn’t strong enough to figure it out back then, but her energy was heavy.

The woman drew back her hood, and my mother quickly moved to the front of me, conjuring a shimmering silver shield for our protection. My mother was not just a wolf; she was also a witch. My grandmother held the title of Grand High Witch of the Eastern Quarter, a descendant of the Air Elements, as is my mother.

Besides natural she-wolves, witches are the only other magical beings capable of procreating with nearly every other magical species. Ogres are the exception, as their immense and unsightly stature, mingled with their foul odor, makes them incompatible. Besides, sex with them would kill us. Gross, they may be, but our allies in the magical community.

The woman in black was breathtakingly beautiful, with long, wavy jet-black hair, bright green eyes, a ghostly pale complexion, and blood-red lips. Her smile was vicious, and her aura was a flaming red. Her footsteps scorched the wood, leaving burning footprints on the floor. She was a daughter of the Southern Quarter and unmistakably a master of fire.

“Adina, I can’t believe you,” my mother’s voice cracked, clearly hurt and shocked. “You have betrayed everything we stand for. The elders will have your head.” This woman was a friend, now an enemy, who despised her because of my father.

“Not before I have theirs, hybrid trash,” She spat as she meticulously circled the shield as if searching for a flaw.

Adina was not over Lucas, choosing Alayna as his mate years ago at the Blood Moon Festival. Alayna foolishly invited her believing Adina was her friend. Maybe she was in the beginning before she laid eyes on Lucas Bloodstone.

My father was beautiful. Tall, muscular, thick brown curly hair, jade eyes, dimples for days, and a smile that could tempt a nun out of her habit. To see he only had eyes for my mother, and they created me, the abomination destroyed what little heart she had left. Her hate appeared to be just as fresh as if it happened yesterday.

“I have absorbed the powers of many witches, and you believe this little shield will keep me from you?” A wicked cackle seeped through her curled lips. Her eyes went pitch black, soulless, and deadly as a Saw-scaled Viper. She stopped to stand staring into my eyes with an unnaturally wide grin, exposing a full mouth of dagger-like teeth dripping in saliva. A loud piercing tone assaulted my ears, forcing me to cover them from the pain.

Everything seemed to shift slowly as she placed her black-clawed hands against the shield.

“Run, baby! Don’t look back no matter what!” My mother’s voice screamed in my head just as the shield shattered like glass into a million pieces.

My mother shifted into black smoke trying to cover me as I bolted between the men, clawing out Zander’s eye as I knocked him to the ground in my effort to escape, sliding under the dining table and running out the back patio doors. I could hear Zander yelling after me. I shifted mid-air, diving off the balcony and running towards the forest.

“You filthy little bitch! There is nowhere you can run!”

“No where you can hide!” His blood marring my white fur and paw prints in the snow. His left eye cradled between my teeth as a souvenir.

“Run, find Melia” my mother’s voice sounded weaker in my head as she continued trying to push me.

I wanted to turn back to help her fight, knowing I was no match for a witch with that much power. Tears streamed from my eyes as I continued to dash between the trees towards the nearest river. Rogues were hot on my tail, howling to alert more to aid them.

Our connection was severed, I could no longer hear my mother’s voice. My heart was broken, but I kept pushing myself. I could still feel her life force but having to leave her behind killed me inside. I tried to link with family or the pack as explosions shook our territory. Nothing but screams of terror echoed among the trees, as if we were completely blocked from communicating via mind link. I had no time to figure out how to break through it.

I ran until I came to a cliff overlooking a deep rushing river. I glanced back to see huge dark clouds of smoke illuminated by flames far in the distance. Turning to look back over the cliff edge, I knew I had no other options. I could smell the foul odor of the dark rogues getting closer. I took a deep breath and leaped over the edge into the darkness.

It was a hard journey on some days barely staying under the radar of those loyal to Zander due to his genius skills in deception. Luckily, glamor and persuasion were some of my skills. After running far Northeast, I landed in Crimson Falls, a year later. I was very aware of this place being the home of the largest pack on the Upper East Coast and up into Canada. Also once known as a place of refuge for those who left their pack.

In a dream, the Moon Goddess came to me as a huge white wolf with shimmering streaks of silver flowing through her coat, her aura in all the colors of the Quarters. She said this was where I needed to be and would be safe. I know we should never doubt the wisdom of the Moon Goddess, but my dreams made me a little nervous.

After two weeks in town, I managed to get a job working as a triage nurse for the local Emergent Care center in town. I had only graduated nursing school six months before all hell broke loose. Having a career was at least a blessing for me to make money. The only problem was not being found by someone associated with Zander and not using my powers while on the run, so I had to work in a few less rewarding places before.

The last town I was in eight months ago I had to leave. Six male wolves attempted to have their way with me when I wanted to go home and rest after my shift at the tavern. My car was parked in the alley a few feet from the exit. They waited for me and would have succeeded with their plans had I not burned them all to ash. I had no choice. I didn’t feel in control of stopping myself if I wanted to.

Since then, I have done little things when in a bind, like starting a campfire by simply whispering ′burn’ to make flames ignite. Or sometimes standing at a riverbank humming a mermaid’s song to get fish to willingly jump into my buckets. I would always make sure I was alone and never do anything major that could be detected by other magical beings. Especially Adina. Of course, I want to take that bitches head, but not until I can find a way to get to my mother or at least communicate with her. I can feel she is still alive, and I will save her.

If I could locate my aunt, Melia, I believe she could assist me in unraveling the mysteries of my past. When I was very young, my mother prepared me for something significant, yet she revealed little more than a cryptic instruction to seek out Melia should anything happen to her. She assured me that Melia would help me remember, leaving me with a sense of confusion. Despite the lack of clarity in her words, I trust that the answers I seek will become evident when I finally find my aunt.

I remember meeting my aunt only once but feeling she has been around since I was born, and she said, ’You are so very special, Little One. More special than you know, Nali” Her hand was so soft against my cheek, and she smelled like lilies and rain. I was 4 the day she disappeared.

Here I am awake three hours before I need to get ready for work, muddling over everything going on in my life. I don’t need anything extra and surely not some dream lover added to the mix. I snuggled down into my bed, wrapping myself in the blanket, praying I would at least feel rested by the time the alarm rings.