Page 51 of Wild Wolf

“He’s not as good of a shot as you are, but he’ll be ready to learn from you within the next month or two,” Desmond stated, and he opened the SUV’s back door and pulled out a rifle case. “Declan, we picked up a sniper rifle for you on the way here, plus there’s a standard military-issued rifle for you. You’re the most qualified to work with them, so you get to keep them with you. Pick your poison for a firefight, because I’m expecting one. We’ve had some wild wolves circling.”

“We noticed them,” I replied, taking the rifle bag from the man and slinging it over my shoulder. “We’re pretty tough, so where do you want me to shoot for?”

“If you’re using the Beretta and the silvered rounds, as long as you hit, the bullet will do the job. Young wolves will die very quickly. Older wolves take longer, but it’s still lethal unless treated right away. If Amber gets hit with a silvered round right now, she’d be dead within no more than thirty seconds. She’s too young of a wolf to survive silver. We have no idea how you react to silver, so I’m classing you in the same class she is. That means Lane is the best with you, because he’s used to handling Normals, who are far more fragile than Fenerec. And Amber, don’t argue.”

“I won’t. It’s true. It’s standard. I might have my pride, but my common sense hasn’t abandoned me yet.” Amber shrugged.

Cuī Xue cleared his throat, and once he had our undivided attention, he said, “There is a pack of fifteen wild wolves in the trees surrounding us. Most are unsalvageable, but there is one among them who might be saved, though it is borderline. While killing one who might be saved bothers me, I do not know if it will be possible to extract her from the pack. She is unmated, and the males all wish to breed. From what I’ve seen of her aura, someone keeps her borderline, likely to control the rest of the pack. There is a second pack of wolves beyond them, and they are more stable, but they are not truly stable, not like we prefer. I have counted thirty of them, and there are several witches with them. They are of middling strength. These would be the ved’ma, I presume. I counted six. They are in charge of the sane pack, and the sane pack keeps the wild wolves between us and them. The wild ones are afraid of us, and for good reason.”

Desmond rolled his shoulders. “I’ve been letting my wolf out enough where those who aren’t used to me are aware there’s a predator nearby—a dangerous predator.”

“These ved’ma have malicious intent, and their auras are streaked black. Their greed and ambition blind them,” Cuī Xue reported.

Jìngyi reached into her blazer and pulled out a small, bronze disc with green woven cord strung through a square hole in its center. She raised it to her lips and kissed it before she held it out and dangled it from her finger. It spun in a single circle before it came to an abrupt halt and hung still.

While the wind blew through the woods surrounding Blagoveshchensk, her talisman remained motionless.

She released it.

The talisman did not fall.

My eyes widened, and my wolf observed with interest.

Nodding at her work, Jìngyi once again reached into her blazer, and she withdrew more coins with green cord woven into their centers. Each and every one joined the first hanging in the air until there were enough for everyone. “We have also brought tonics. They will protect against wolfsbane. It is our newest formula, and it is our best yet. It is even safe for the youngest of wolves. Keep the talisman tied around your wrist. That is the best way for it to offer its protections. It will mitigate some of silver’s damage, but it will keep the wildness of the sickened pack at bay and make way for easier purifications should they be needed. Xue, what do you think of the sane wolves?”

“They use the wild pack for their misdeeds, and the malevolence of their ved’ma shows strongly through in their auras. They have made their choice, and we would be wise to make certain their poor choices no longer threaten the wellbeing of others. This is no uncontrolled wild pack. You said there were deaths, Declan?”

“Yes. One of the mill workers was killed, as was my boss—or so I was told. They also claim the family of the wolf was also slaughtered. They told me it was the work of one wolf.”

Richard growled, and Amber reached over and flicked her nail against the side of his throat. “Relax, Richard. Declan wasn’t hunted, and he’s safe in our custody. Considering how many they’ve brought, they mean to either kill us all or take hostages. Wild wolves aren’t sane wolves, and these folks are superstitious enough they likely want Declan alive because he fits their various legends.”

Richard stopped growling, although he glared at Amber. “I’m unhappy because there is some sick form of logic to killing people around Declan if he was identified as a shy wolf—a shy wolf with good control. Wolves with good control are valuable to packs and it would let them get rid of some unwanted people. If they were killed in the first place. It could have been staged. Or lies. We’d have to get a look at the site, and I don’t think this crowd plans on letting us go and do what we want.”

“No, they don’t plan on that,” Xue stated. “If we wish to strike first, we must act soon, for the wild wolves grow impatient.”

Jìngyi wasted no time offering us a talisman each, and it intrigued me she offered the first to Amber, before giving Richard the second. Some of my puzzlement must have shown on my face, because Richard chuckled and winked at me. “My reputation of being an overbearing, overprotective man precedes me. She caters to my base need to protect my wife’s best friend. Give me a week or two. I’ll keep thanking you for your part in this, and I’ll inevitably annoy you and everyone else at the same time. It’s part of my charm.”

“You are such a pain in the ass, Richard Murphy,” Amber muttered with a shake of her head. “Go get me another gun. I have a feeling I’m going to need it.”

Chapter Twelve

Xue gave me a vial filled with a thick, golden fluid, and against my better judgment, I knocked it back. It burned worse than any liquor on the way down, and I coughed at its potency. Fortunately, Richard had taken Amber to one of the other vehicles to go over the available weaponry, so she didn’t witness my inability to handle the brew with dignity.

The hunting wolves would have been wise to stop us from making any preparations. Then again, the wild wolves prowled between us and the saner ones, and I suspected the wild wolves had more sense than the ved’ma.

“Until I’d come to Russia, I’d mostly quit drinking, because alcohol turns me into an idiot with no common sense. What is this stuff?”

“It is baijiu. The golden color comes from the herbs and other ingredients we brew in it. This concoction lasts for between six to eight hours, which should be plenty of time for handling this matter. It’s not like we have far to go.” The man’s smile had a grim edge to it. “Whomever these Russians are, they do not want us to make it to the negotiations. They are fools.”

“Why do you think that might be? It seems pointless to stop these talks.”

“From the little I know, I suspect it is because they value their way of life, and they do not wish it to change. For a place so steeped in the supernatural, this is only a fraction of the witches and wolves who live near here. We have heard far more wolves than the numbers here howling from across the river. But don’t feel badly for your part in this. This was destined to come. My people have known there has been something amiss here for a long time. The first time one of my people became involved, we would have begun walking this road. I suppose they believe you to be an easy target, for you appear to be Russian although you’re not?”

“I played at being half Russian.”

“That, perhaps, made them believe they could pull you into the system, but then they discovered you are already a wolf.”

“And they know I don’t want one of their damned brands.”