Rise of the Wolves Read online

  Rise

  of the

  Wolves

  By: J. E. Reed

  Contents

  1: Elite

  2: Traitor

  3: Reece

  4: Reunion

  5: Comrades

  6: Relics

  7: Rest

  8: Traitor

  9: Alliances

  10: Quarrel

  11: Elite

  12: Never Forget

  13: The Forest

  14: K.J.

  15: Elite

  16: Behemoth

  17: Burn

  18: Proposal

  19: Union

  20: Traitor

  21: Felinians

  22: Rain Dance

  23: Reminiscent

  24: Traitor

  25: Land of Death

  26: Heartache

  27: Phoenix

  28: K.J.

  29: Memories & Magic

  30: Aftermath

  31: Broken

  32: Traitor

  33: Vengeance

  34: Reece

  35: Elite

  36: Jungle

  37: Threshold

  38: Elite

  39: Reece

  40: Elite

  41: Love & Loss

  42: Breathless

  43: Maltack

  44: Assault

  45: Reece

  46: Massacre

  47: Decisions

  48: Betrayal

  49: Reece

  50: Palindrome

  51: Conqueror

  52: A New Future

  53: Queen

  54: Maltack

  55: Reece

  56: Preparation

  57: Taken

  58: Torture

  59: Remember

  60: Elite

  61: Reece

  62: Shadow of Death

  63: Hope

  64: Reece

  65: Surprises

  66: Cowards

  67: Plans

  68: Reinforcement

  69: Reece

  70: Friends

  71: Apologies

  72: Complications

  73: The Creator

  Acknowledgements

  About the Author

  Edited by Catherine Jones Payne

  of Quill Pen Editorial

  Cover Design: Kirk Douponce, Dog Eared Design.

  RISE OF THE WOLVES

  Copyright © 2019 J.E. REED

  All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without written permission of the publisher.

  This book is a work of fiction. Any names, characters, places, events, or incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any similarities or resemglance to actual persons, living or dead; events; or places is entirely coincidental.

  Visit the author at jereedbooks.com

  Facebook: J.E.Reed.author

  Twitter: J_E_Reed_author

  Instagram: jereed_kiuno

  To Milo and all the adventures we shared.

  1: Elite

  Realm: 5

  Day: 227

  Elite walked amongst the broken bodies strewn across the field. Bodies from yesterday’s battle. Bodies left in his wife’s wake.

  Scorpios had filled him in on her magic and how she’d rushed in, knowing Elite’s forces were outnumbered and unprepared. He wasn’t sure whether to be thankful or furious at the wretched world that had drawn his wife in so deeply.

  She was what others were calling ‘the lightning user’ and judging from the carnage left behind by her magic, she had an important role to come. His jaw ticked as he remembered the way she’d fallen into his arms. The exhaustion and red marks that ran along her body… Kiuno was the last person he’d ever expect to take a human life.

  Elite’s gaze fell back to the cold, hollow eyes staring towards the heavens. He clenched his fists. He should have been there to protect her. He should have prevented her from having to make such a choice.

  His gaze darted to the wagon as it lurched forward. A year, close enough anyway. It was a long time, and he knew the woman he’d fallen for had shifted.

  Kiuno carried scars far deeper than those that ran along her skin. The way she’d reacted upon waking told him as much. Fear. Too much fear.

  Elite rested one hand on the hilt of his sword and swept his gaze over the bodies again. He lingered on a familiar face, and his gut twisted.

  They had to leave their dead behind. The enemy could close in on them again at any moment and with all the injured…

  His eyes trailed back to the wagon. Maltack’s hands hovered over the red lines that marred Kiuno’s body. Another, Liam if he remembered right, sat with her. Worry lines etched his young face. She’d found allies in his absence and thrived in a world hell bent on their destruction.

  He smiled despite the circumstances. She was safe and if he could prevent it, he’d ensure she never suffered again.

  Elite’s boot crunched the seared grass, and his eyes traced the zigzagged pattern of her magic.

  He cringed as memories of another invaded his thoughts. A woman who carried herself like his wife. The wind had tugged at her long, brown hair, obscuring her face from his view.

  He’d run. Her magic flared, but it was too late. Her comrades fell and the monsters tore her apart before his eyes.

  Elite had dropped to his knees at her side, calling Kiuno’s name as he tried to stop the flow of blood. But when he turned her over, his heart thawed.

  He shouldn’t have felt relief, but Elite couldn’t help it. That girl wasn’t Kiuno. Even so, he’d buried her and the search for his wife continued.

  Silver, her cousin, insisted Kiuno was more than capable of caring for herself.

  He knew that. But he also knew about her stubborn tendencies. Her rash actions and an impulsiveness this world might not forgive.

  The wagon creaked as the horses started uphill. Elite trailed behind and the mocking, dead smile of a hollow caught his attention. It stared at him as if promising a gruesome return.

  Elite kicked it in the face and trotted back toward the cart, his heart urging him to stay close.

  She was alive. No matter what evils she might have faced to get here, she had come, and he’d make sure they’d never be separated again.

  2: Traitor

  Realm: 5

  Day: 229

  Fire crackled in the stone hearth as he sat upon a nearby stool. Not the most comfortable, but at least he could get a few moments alone with Kiuno. If only she weren’t comatose.

  Palindrome kept Kiuno sedated, claiming the rest would aid in recovery. He disagreed and argued she should be up and moving to promote circulation to her limbs. Too much rest made a person weak.

  He clasped his hands in delight as he remembered the immense scars she’d carved upon the earth.

  That strength. It awed him beyond words. Perhaps he even feared it.

  His smile vanished as he gazed at the woman lying in the bed before him. Great power came with consequences and left her vulnerable.

  Kiuno’s companions watched her in shifts, though for what reason he couldn’t be sure. She wasn’t in danger and no one would dare enter these quarters with sinister ambition.

  He stood. At least no one they’d suspect.

  He hovered at her bedside and observed the rhythmic rise and fall of her chest. Deep red marks spread down her arms in a beautiful design.

  He traced one with his finger. It was as if the lightning had painted her skin with the finest of details.

  He caressed her cheek
and pushed a strand of hair from her face.

  Such a gentle woman. Yet a terrifying soul lay just beneath the surface, waiting for the chance to break free.

  He smiled, longing to test it. Perhaps he’d see the depth of that soul when she realized the truth.

  He couldn’t wait for their reactions.

  No one knew or suspected.

  Her eyes fluttered and she winced. He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. She returned it.

  “Water.”

  His heart fluttered at her raspy voice and he filled a cup from the bedside table.

  With the care one might show their child, he lifted Kiuno to a seated position and tucked himself at her side for support. Her fingers shook as she clasped them around the cup, but he held it steady.

  Long shadows danced along the walls as he waited for her to finish.

  “How are you feeling?” he asked.

  “My head is pounding.” Her eyes roamed across the marks on her wrist, but if they bothered her, she didn’t say.

  “Where is everyone?”

  He helped her lower back to a lying position. “Here and there.”

  “Is she awake?” Palindrome entered and his annoyance flared as she all but shooed him from Kiuno’s bedside. He bit his tongue and used the dim lighting to hide his displeasure.

  A faint glow emitted from Palindrome’s palm. Kiuno claimed it offered some relief, but it never lasted.

  The red, interwoven designs remained untouched as if defiant against the healer’s intervention.

  Interesting.

  Palindrome pulled a vial from her pocket, but Kiuno shook her head. “I don’t want to sleep anymore.”

  “Then how about a bath?”

  Kiuno’s eyes traveled to her blood-stained clothes and she nodded. Palindrome gave him a dismissive look, and he did his best to smile. She’d think it stemmed from understanding and sympathy.

  What a fool.

  3: Reece

  Realm: 5

  Day: 229

  Reece slumped on a log and sat back only to sit forward again. His eyes roamed between hundreds of faces and then to the towering walls. He hated being here but after seeing Kiuno hurt he couldn’t leave until he saw her conscious and well.

  Another drunken soldier sloshed his drink on Reece’s boot as he passed by. Reece cursed, shook the liquid from his foot then continued to bounce his leg.

  The urge to hunt Kiuno down grew by the second. He should have known she’d get herself into trouble, but this? Taking on an entire army with no chance of winning?

  He clicked his tongue. She really was reckless.

  Reece’s mind drifted back to the cliff. She’d have died without him and he’d still let her go to this castle alone. Reece had convinced himself she could handle it—yet she’d returned barely conscious.

  If he’d accompanied her, then Kiuno might not be suffering now. He could have stopped her and made her see reason.

  Reece chuckled to himself. Then again, maybe not.

  Reece recalled the charred ground when he’d arrived on the battlefield. Some whispered of the lightning user, but he’d seen Kiuno’s magic.

  He furrowed his brow. And he’d also seen her lose control.

  Reece stood and ran his hand through his hair as he weighed the possibilities. If he could figure out her secret, how long would it take others to do the same? How much danger was she in from this point forward?

  “You look like you could use a drink.” Nsane, his best friend, held out a mug. Reece took it and drained the contents without question.

  Nsane had seen her magic too. He knew, yet both kept their mouths shut for fear of being overheard. Spies ran within the castle walls.

  Scorpios claimed Kiuno knew the leader here, but how well and would he use her power for personal gain?

  Reece sighed and sat down again. He’d worried for Kiuno from the start, but he hadn’t expected the pull he felt now.

  “She’s with one of their commanders. If you’re curious.”

  Reece eyed his empty mug. “Is that supposed to make me feel better?”

  Nsane motioned for another companion to get them refills. “Her husband is with her. He’ll keep her safe.”

  Husband. The word tasted like stale liquor on his tongue. His feelings were irrelevant. Kiuno possessed a rare loyalty for those close to her heart and that loyalty extended tenfold for the man she loved.

  Reece wanted to convince her staying in the castle was a bad idea. But it wasn’t his place and judging from the way her husband hovered like a protective guardian, it never would be.

  4: Reunion

  Realm: 5

  Day: 229

  Kiuno sank her arms into the warm water and flinched. She traced the floral-like marks stretching from her fingertips to shoulders and down her torso. All of them burned as through molten fire had run through her veins.

  Palindrome fiddled with Kiuno’s knotted hair and huffed. “How long has it been since you washed this?”

  Kiuno shrugged. “It wasn’t important at the time.” Elite had been the only thing on her mind for months. Not to mention the countless situations she’d encountered along the way.

  Palindrome ran her fingers through matted hair. “You’ve been around men too long.”

  Kiuno’s mouth curved into a smile, but she couldn’t argue. This was the first time she’d had the chance to sit down with another woman. Palindrome had all but pried her from Elite’s grasp.

  Elite. Kiuno clutched her wrist. She’d endured more psychological pain than she ever thought herself capable. All to find him. Now most of that pain seemed like a distant memory.

  Palindrome shifted and Kiuno glanced back at the magnificent woman’s golden hair. It fanned in the water and despite the pain, Kiuno tried to sink herself deeper.

  “You don’t have to be so shy, we’re both women.”

  “Says the Greek goddess behind me.”

  Palindrome’s face fell. “I’m not perfect.” She let her arms slip into the water and Kiuno turned to look at the crestfallen woman.

  Palindrome clenched her jaw. “I left him.”

  Admittance.

  Kiuno looked away. Six months before this world swallowed them, Palindrome disappeared without a trace. Kiuno tried to help K.J. in his search and both spent countless nights scouring the Internet for clues.

  Nothing turned up and the pain of her disappearance haunted K.J. day and night. Kiuno supposed it happened sometimes with long distance relationships, yet the two stood together now. Perhaps even stronger than before.

  “I know.” It was all Kiuno could offer.

  Silence settled over them like a thick blanket before Palindrome went to work again. Her fingers caressed Kiuno’s scalp and struggled to sort through the last tangle.

  “He wasn’t even angry,” she whispered.

  “Did you expect him to be?”

  “I expected… something, but he just kissed me. Said he’d wanted to do that from the beginning and wouldn’t miss his chance now.”

  Kiuno smiled. “Yeah, sounds like him.”

  “I regret it you know, every moment, but if I try to apologize, he tells me to shush.” Palindrome shook her head. “I wanted to come back, but when weeks turned into months, I guess I convinced myself he’d moved on.” She sighed. “I just wish he’d give me a little of what I deserve.”

  “You and I both know that isn’t K.J.”

  She didn’t respond.

  “He has you now, that’s all that matters.”

  “You’re right.” Palindrome ran her fingers through Kiuno’s scalp several times. “Done.”

  Despite the pain, Kiuno ducked beneath the surface for a final rinse, then Palindrome helped her out of the water.

  Without something to obscure her form, every mark sat visible. Kiuno’s body had acted like a rod and pulled powerful lightning through the unseen magical networks beneath her skin. It felt as though an entire storm had torn through her.

  The last few
moments of battle were a blur. Someone had taken her to Elite. K.J., if her memory served.

  Kiuno thought she’d pushed too far. She thought those moments were her last and it’d terrified her to no end.

  She glanced at her palm. If this is what she’d suffer then she never wanted to use that magic again.

  Palindrome tousled her hair and Kiuno’s gaze wandered to the bracelets around her wrist. She traced the first letter of the jade stone and memories of wind and fire threatened to surface.

  “Arms up.”

  Kiuno obeyed and Palindrome slipped a sleeveless shirt over her head before tying a familiar looking cloth around the blue stone. Her fingers lingered. “I wasn’t sure if it was important.”

  Kiuno couldn’t meet her gaze. Blood and dirt covered the once white material. Evidence of the trials she’d endured, but she shook off the memories and focused her thoughts on a singular target. Elite.

  Exhausted but refreshed, Kiuno followed Palindrome into the night air where the soft breeze kissed her burning skin.

  Barefoot, the women walked along a grassy path. The castle loomed before them and silence radiated within its shadow.

  The two passed a short line of wash areas, but all sat empty. Most hovered near the fires ahead and the echo of their voices disrupted the silent night.

  Kiuno paused and glanced up into the starry sky. The towering walls offered protection from the outside world. She took a breath. But it wasn’t the structure that eased her fears. Somewhere in this crowd Elite waited.

  Palindrome took her hand and the two continued through the damp grass. So much time had passed. Would he be the same man she’d fallen in love with or would she find someone this world had corrupted?

  The voices grew louder. Too loud for her aching head. Several unfamiliar faces greeted Palindrome, and many stared at the marks running along Kiuno’s skin.

  Kiuno tried to ignore them.

  A fire popped and her heart jumped with it. Sweat caked her palms, Kiuno’s breathing sped up, and her legs rooted themselves to the ground.

  Sounds blended and her throat constricted. It’s fine, she told herself. Everything is fine. She tried to breathe, but her body wouldn’t obey.