Shadows of the Ancients

By Christine Michelle

Have you ever been so stubborn that you failed at something?
Yeah? Me too!
I hail from an ancient line of werewolves, so you’d think being me would be easy. If only two very important things were not standing in my way.
ONE:
Zach Brighton - my betrothed.
TWO:
My wolf was very different!
Everyone said I should be happy he still wanted me. I was not.
Then, I met someone else, a mystery man who changed everything, but held secrets of his own that threatened his ability to claim me.
Maybe I wasn’t meant to be claimed.
Maybe I was broken.
Or Maybe, I was just waiting for my new life to catch up.

This is book ONE of The Ancients Series. This paranormal romantic suspense story MUST be read in order. The main character's story concludes in book 4, but all four of those books are already available!
1 - Shadows of the Ancients
2 - Falling into the White
3 - Branches of the Willow
4 - Bound by the Moon

*Note: This book was originally released on Mar. 28, 2014. It has been updated, given a new cover, and is listed as a 2nd edition. If you previously downloaded this book, you should be able to update it and no further purchase will be required.

~*~*~*~*~*~ REVIEW ~*~*~*~*~*~
5 - Stars from Author J. Kirsch - One sexy, witty, enticingly snarky wolf girl? Check. A unique take on werewolf power and relationship dynamics? Check. This is an overall fun read with dialogue that will have you laughing out loud at times and raising your eyebrows at others. In one evening I ran across this deliciously wolfy paranormal book, and a few hours later I had to buy book #2 and #3 in the series. Yes, it's THAT good. If you like Patricia Briggs or Jeaniene Frost, you will enjoy Ms. Butler's writing.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Moonlit Dreams Publications
• Release date: Mar 28, 2014
• ISBN: 9781311471253

Book preview

Shadows of the Ancients

Christine Michelle

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Moonlit Dreams Publications

Copyright

Copyright © 2014 Christine M. Butler

2nd Edition © 2021 Christine M. Butler

3rd Edition © 2023 Christine Michelle

All rights reserved 

Scanning, uploading, copying, and/or any distribution of this book, either electronically or otherwise without express written permission from the publisher (author), is illegal and punishable by law and will incur civil penalties.

Small quotes and snippets may be used for review purposes only where they do not contain information that would spoil the book for potential readers. 

Help support authors you love by only purchasing legitimate copies of their work through trusted sources. Trusted source links and updated pricing can be found on the publisher’s website at

https://www.moonlitdreams.org/

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Multiple images used for cover creation and interior files licensed via Adobe Stock.

Smashwords Edition

Author’s Note

Shadows of the Ancients originally released in 2014. Since then, I’ve had several computers die on me and have lost more files than I care to talk about as a result, especially when my trusty flash drives of old weren’t quite so trusty with all my backups.

It’s been seven years and it’s time for a change, but I couldn’t re-release the books with new covers and not update their interiors too. All I had to go on were some original versions of the books that were pre-edits, so there have been enough changes made to the books to consider them second edition copies. The word count of Shadows of the Ancients increased from 79,562 words to 84,824. 

This book was originally published under Christine M. Butler. It has been moved to Christine Michelle. If you previously purchased this book, there is no need to purchase it again.

Happy reading,

Christine 

Contents

1.Chosen

2.Strange Fates

3.Consequences

4.A New Order

5.Possibilities

6.Brothers

7.Reunions

8.Changes

9.Dirty Little Wolf

10.Nothing

11.The White

12.DeLune

13.Meeting the Family

14.Hostage

15.Blood Rain

16.No Rest for the Weary

17.Finally

What's Next

Also By

Acknowledgements

About the Author

1

Chosen

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Y ou should be rejoicing! Your mate has been chosen for you. My mother’s voice was grating on my last nerve. I could already hear the speech that she had prepared for this very occasion, only I didn’t have to wait for it to play out in my mind. The minute I saw her take a breath to launch into her spiel, I tried to get a word in edgewise.

But-

Zachariah is the best match you could possibly hope for. He’s handsome… For the love of all that is sacred in this world, please, someone shoot me in the leg. It would be far better than listening to my mother drone on about Zach’s supposed virtues again. I pretended to listen as she continued. …Smart and he’s an alpha. He’ll be our pack leader one day if anything ever happens to Marcus.

Yep, and he knows all those things too, Mom!

As he should! Confidence comes with being Alpha, Jess. You know that.

I grumbled something about there being a difference between confidence and conceit, but she chose to ignore it. I just need some time to think and get used to the idea.

To think? My mother asked in surprise. About what, Jess? Zach has already accepted. An official announcement will be made at the next full moon cycle.

What? I’m not proud to admit that the word screeched from my body, making me sound a whole lot like a harpy having a bad night. Just like that? I don’t even get a say in my own future?

Don’t be silly. You could refuse, but why would you? You two would be perfect for one another. We’ve thought so since you were younger. It’s why we petitioned so long ago for this to happen.

 Don’t remind me, I snapped.

 Besides, she continued, ignoring me once again. Who would you choose otherwise? Your choices only go downhill from Zach. My mom gave me that look again, the one that said she didn’t know how she had possibly given birth to me. You should be glad he didn’t refuse, considering. That was said so quietly, you would almost need to have supernatural hearing to pick it up. Thankfully, or not so thankfully in this case, my heightened senses worked just fine, even if other parts of me didn’t.

Well, I argued stubbornly, knowing she was right about that last bit, even if it hurt to hear. There’s Tyler. I like him, he’s always been nice to me.

Tyler! Ha! My mom laughed. He’s barely even a Beta. You’d have that boy paws up and belly down by the end of the week. He’d be quaking in his boots as a human around you too. Then what? You’d get bored. What you need, my darling daughter, is a challenge.

I’m being challenged alright, I grumbled.

Ugh, My mom was exasperated with me, as usual. She threw her hands up in the air, in mock defeat. Fine! Take a few days to mull it over. Go out, have some fun with Ashley. Get a little bit of that restless spirit out of your system. And then, do your duty for your pack. There are worse fates than this one, Jessica Marie!

I turned to walk away from the conversation. The moment she broke out my middle name I knew what was coming next.

This is your father’s doing. He’s spoiled you. How many other wolves do you see going off to human college? That’s right, none. You’re special, and now you think you’re too good for the best match there is in our pack. Ay-ay-ay, Jessica. What is it going to take for you to understand, you are a wolf? You are not human.

Funny, I always thought I was both.

That’s where you keep going wrong. You can’t be one anymore, if you’re the other. It doesn’t work that way, Jess. The wolf will always call to you, especially your wolf.

I know.

Do you? Because you seem to think it’s just going to stop.

I do not, and I don’t want it to. I just… I just wish I didn’t feel so damn trapped in this life. I freaking hate Zach! He stopped being a decent person when he went through the final transition. How am I supposed to get over the fact that I can’t stand being around him? We mate for life! That will suck!

Jessica, my mom whispered to me, pulling us closer together. Her arms wrapped comfortingly around me. I know it seems like the worst thing ever right now, but I promise you will grow to love him. When you are mated, and your wolves have accepted one another, you won’t have any regrets, I promise. Things will change. I understand being nervous. I wasn’t sure I liked your father that much when we were paired together.

That surprised me.

He was a jerk. He was a lot like Zach is now, and you know what? I just looked up at her, waiting for the rest without saying anything. He stole my heart, and I like to think I helped change him just a little. He’s not so much of a jerk now. She winked at me, kissed the top of my head, and then sent me on my way. Go, have fun for tonight. Think about everything in the morning, when you have a clearer head. And at least consider what I’ve said. This is a smart match. Things will fall into place, I promise.

I wanted to have faith in my mom, in the fact that she had been in a very similar position once upon a time, but it still all rubbed me the wrong way. I decided to call Ashley, she’d understand. She could commiserate with me, and probably come up with a brilliant plan to take my mind off everything.

I need you, I said without hesitation as Ashley picked up the phone.

Oh shit! Let me guess, the whole mating thing came up again?

Things have definitely gotten a little more complicated. Zach has already agreed to the union. What the hell do I do now?

You pack an overnight bag, and make sure you have something black and sexy in there, because by the time we finish out the night, you’re not even going to remember your name, let alone that you’re supposed to be mated to some jerk-off.

I was so hoping you’d say something like that. What would I do without you, Ashley?

Be miserable, of course! By the way, how’s my big brother? Tell him to call home if you see him. My parents aren’t exactly happy with the fact that he seems to have forgotten about his human family.

Ouch! Okay, I’m packing a bag, running by Jack’s to smack him upside the head for you, and then I will be on my way to your place to pick you up.

Perfect, see you soon, hon!

It took me no time to get a bag together for my outing with my best friend. I had been given permission by the pack to attend the local university, so I often stuck around and hung out with Ashley when classes were over for the day. Technically, I was overstepping the bounds of the permissions granted to me, but the pack tended to be lax where I was concerned. I wasn’t even entirely sure why. They had some great hope and aspiration that I would be the liaison between them, and the human world should things ever come to that. As it was, Ashley was my only human friend, and she just so happened to also be the best damn one a girl could ask for.

We met five years ago, when I first went through the change. I was born into a werewolf pack, but that didn’t mean I was born werewolf. No one really was. The werewolf gene triggered in several stages. The first is what’s known as an Awakening. It happens anywhere between 12 and 14 years of age. Our senses become heightened, hearing is amplified, smell is tipped to an almost unbearable level, and we can see better too. The boys start developing some crazy facial hair around that time as well. Both sexes pack on powerful, lean muscles that isn’t quite normal for our human counterparts at those ages.

After the Awakening, we get a few years to adjust before the next phase in the were-gene kicks in. That’s known as the Calling. Although, most people just refer to it as 'turning’ or 'changing’. When we hit 16 or 17-years-old, our wolves are finally restless enough to want out. One spectacular day, out of the blue, our blood starts to boil. A raging fever ensues, our senses flair out of control again, and usually with the help of a super emotional moment our wolf frees themselves from our bodies. The wolf is called forth for the first time, and we bond with it, becoming one. From then on, we are able to shift at will. 

It is much harder to resist the urge to change during a full moon, but any other time is completely voluntary for us. We still aren’t considered full-fledged werewolves at that point though. We’re still pups until we hit our early twenties and go through the last stage.

The third, and final, stage of transformation that takes place is formally called Ebullience, and it is a far more subtle stage. Our aging process nearly stalls out, and we are able to breed and produce werewolf offspring. This is the time when we may choose a mate. The only noticeable, physical aspect we get from the third stage is the ring around the iris of our eyes. My eyes were bright green before I reached Ebullience, and now they are rimmed in a circle of green so dark it makes me think of shadowy forests just before the sun’s light stops penetrating through the thick of it. When I am in wolf form, that same dark green ring exudes a special luminescence. There’s an illumination from within that appears magical in nature. I’ve seen it in others and often wondered what it looked like on me, but I hadn’t yet been put in front of a reflective surface in wolf form to find out. Once a werewolf has ringed eyes, they are no longer pups. 

The elders like to encourage us to find our mates as soon as possible once we reach that stage. While we live an exceptionally long time, females have a relatively small window to be able to breed. From the time of Ebullience, we get about 20 years of viable egg production. After that, Mother Nature turns us off somehow, and we can no longer become pregnant. Some think it’s because we have greater control over our inner wolf while we’re fresh out of the changes. Females who are pregnant are not allowed to phase. It takes a great deal of control, not to mention help from your partner or a surrogate, to keep from changing on a full moon. That’s why it’s a rare thing to see a werewolf family unit with more than one child. It’s a very difficult process and wears the female down to the point of complete exhaustion.

Ashley and I met one another during the height of my second transition. The calling came to me amidst tragedy. Ashley was new to our area and wasn’t aware that she was trespassing on private property owned by my pack. She had been hunting there with her two brothers. After waking with what felt like a lava field burning through my veins I snuck out of my house, and wandered off into the woods, trying to get some solitude for what I knew was coming. I had no problem with nudity, but I knew as soon as I changed in front of the pack, they would celebrate by changing to run with me. The unfortunate part of that was I would then have to phase back to my human form in front of all of them. That meant being naked, which meant that even though we were all werewolves, the boys would torment me relentlessly when we got back to class. It happened every time a female phased for the first time.

Rather than deal with that, I decided to run off before the phase overtook me. Despite thinking I was slick; my escape plan hadn’t worked out too well. Sierra, a female who was a year older than I was, noticed when I took off. She had only phased for the first time a few months back. Sierra was rather curvy for a werewolf, and it was all the guys could talk about for a full two months after it happened. I didn’t want that for myself, especially since my body hadn’t yet graced me with the curves I wished to have.

Sierra also happened to be the lead contender to be mated to Zachariah Brighton when the time came. My family had apparently already put in a bid to have us considered for a union when we were old enough, but so had Sierra’s. The only difference between Sierra and me was that she wanted it, and I didn’t. I don’t think she understood that at all though. I was competition to her, plain and simple.

Sierra following me into the woods that day was no accident. She went there trying to push my buttons and assert her dominance on me. Instead of getting what she wanted, she ended up pushing me into the shift faster than it should have happened, since she was not even close to being dominant over me. My wolf slipped free of my human body on a wave of heat, confusion, pain, and anger that amplified everything I was feeling as she took over. And she did not like Sierra’s proximity to us at all. The shock that registered on Sierra’s face was priceless, and she immediately dropped to all fours, as she was forced into her wolf form, where she then crawled on her belly toward me. Sierra – the girl – might have thought she was better than me, but her wolf knew exactly how badly she had screwed up. Her whimpers were no doubt what caught the attention of Ashley’s brother.

A twig snapped nearby, alerting me to the fact that we were not alone out there. There was a young man who had us trained in his sites, and I acted on instinct when I realized what was about to happen. I jumped and ran for the safety of our pack’s inner sanctuary, and howled low for Sierra to follow suit, but she had herself prostrated to me, and it took her a split second longer to right herself and start into her run.

I heard a girl’s voice shout, WAIT! Then the crack of the gun reverberated through the forest. Out of the corner of my eye, I watched as Sierra, the wolf, went down, and Sierra the girl sprouted from her, blood leaking from the gaping wound in her abdomen.

I shifted back, as easily as just standing up, with a scream on my lips. NOooo! Sierra!

The boy stood over Sierra. Shock was evident on his face as he gaped at the girl on the ground. He knew what he had aimed for, and his human mind was trying to make sense of the change from the target he thought he shot to the reality.

I stalked over to where they were, naked as the day I was born, and told him to back off. His sister, Ashley, hadn’t been far off from him, and was now standing there, staring at me like I had two heads. It took her a minute to process what was going on, but then she yelled at her brother to give me his sweatshirt. He did, without hesitation, as he mumbled about shooting at a wolf and not seeing us there.

I was angry and didn’t have it in me to keep my tongue. So, I yelled. You did shoot at a wolf, that’s why she’s bleeding to death, you idiot. Now run! I pointed in the direction of the pack. Go get my family. Tell them Sierra’s been shot, HURRY. She won’t last much longer, and I can’t fix this all by myself.

Surprisingly, it had been Ashley who pulled herself together, and asked what she could do to help. I had her apply pressure to the wound on Sierra’s abdomen as I rolled her up slightly to check her back for the exit wound that I knew would be there. It was a mess. These weren’t the kinds of bullets that a person should use for hunting. These were the bullets that killers used. They ripped everything to shreds on the way through and left a giant hole when they finally made their way out again.

Shit! I hissed through my teeth. I made sure to apply pressure to the wound on Sierra’s back too, trying to keep the bleeding under control. It would be best if Sierra could phase back into her wolf form, she’d heal quicker that way, but she was out cold, and today was the first time I’d been through the third phase of our transformations, so I didn’t have the power to force a shift on another werewolf.

Once my pack came and collected Sierra, they had no choice but to take Ashley and her two brothers back to the sanctuary and explain things to them. They were sworn to secrecy, and Ashley became my very human best friend. My only human friend, but that didn’t matter. Her older brother, Jack, was actually indoctrinated into our clan two years after that. He was one of the lucky ones and survived the process, although our leader Marcus wouldn’t have agreed to it if he thought Jack wouldn’t make it. Of course, I think Marcus had a soft spot for Jack’s reasons for wanting to join the pack.

Jack had spent the next two years at the beck and call of a little wolf girl named Sierra. He felt responsible for what happened to her, especially after Sierra got the devastating news that she’d never be able to have children due to the damage and slow healing that had been done. There was also something in the bullets that were used, that wouldn’t allow the wound to heal properly, and when the bullet broke apart inside her, a fragment or two had been left behind. They ended up having to surgically remove her uterus since it was rotting away from the inside thanks to the fragments. That immediately killed any hopes of her finding a mate anywhere near her age. Those who didn’t already have children would not want her. Jack did though. He begged our pack leader, Marcus, to let him become a wolf so that he could take care of Sierra. He promised that he would be her mate, and that he didn’t care about having kids. I still tear up when I think about the sacrifices Jack ended up making for Sierra.

I had been walking the whole time I was thinking about them, so it didn’t surprise me that I ended up in front of the cottage belonging to Jack and Sierra. I still wasn’t Sierra’s biggest fan, but I loved Jack like my own brother. There was a part of me that wished he could convince Ashley to join our pack, but I knew well enough that female humans rarely survived the change, and I wouldn’t risk losing her like that.

Hey, Jessie, Jack said to me as he opened the door before I had the chance to knock. Sorry, I heard you coming up. Too many fall leaves around here to sneak up on anyone.

Yeah, I guess so, I said, noticing the leaves for the first time since I started out.

Sierra’s with her parents right now. Is there something I can do for you?

Yes, I smiled at him, and then I shot forward and popped him in the head with the palm of my hand.

Ouch! What the hell was that for? He took it good naturedly enough, laughing the initial shock away.

That was from your sister. She said your parents are worried again, it’s been months since they’ve heard from you. Really, Jack? I see your parents on a semi-regular basis. The least you can do is call once a week and go see them once a month, maybe closer to the new moon than the full one, so there’s a low chance of shifting. Unlike born wolves, made wolves had a harder time controlling their change and they were often ruled just as strongly by intense emotion as with the phases of the moon.

He groaned, but added, I know. I understand they worry about the choice I made, but I just don’t want to get there and lose control when they start giving me the fifth degree about it. They always do, he lamented at the end.

I know. I can always go with you, if you need me to.

Thanks, Jessie. I’ll give them a call, I promise.

Good, because next time, I’m not going easy on you.

He smiled an all too attractive smile at me then, Really? He started dancing around gracefully on the balls of his feet, fists up in a fighter’s stance. I think I can take you.

You think? I sighed, and gave him a playful push, realizing for the first time in our conversation that he wasn’t wearing a shirt. I didn’t know whether to thank the gods or curse them since my hormones needed to be put in check because Ashley’s brother was finer than fine! His normally reddish-brown hair had grown lighter over the summer turning it an almost strawberry blond instead. It had also grown longer, down just past his chin and it curled in a wild, haphazardly sexy way that oddly enough made you notice his bright hazel eyes. They were swirls of greens, blues, and golds that took your breath away. Let’s not pretend it was his usual good looks that tipped my hormones into overdrive though. Nope. It was those broad shoulders, that sculpted chest, and the muscles that kept going right on down to… I heard him snicker as I checked him out. I cleared my throat about the time the bastard ran his hand down his chest, as if lazy just feeling the dusting of hair that pointed to other, far more promising places. 

You’re a werewolf, you have to be more convincing than just ‘thinking’ you can take someone. I had never really been interested in guys much. Since I had gone through my final transition, my hormones seemed bound and determined to change that though.

You’re right! How about this, the grin that graced his face turned into a thousand-watt smile, and he winked at me as he said, I can take you, because you’re too distracted by my lack of a shirt to put up a fight.

Ugh, My face immediately flushed red! You wish, I threw over my shoulder as I turned to leave.

I can smell your excitement, remember?

You need to learn some wolfy manners, Jack! I laughed at him. We could smell the chemical changes in the body that were indicative of overexcited hormones, just like we could sniff out fear, and anger. He wasn’t wrong, but usually we tried not to call each other out on it. It was like an unwritten rule, unless you were in the middle of vying for a mate, then everything was fair game. Jack already had a mate, so he was just tormenting me. See you later, Jack. Don’t forget to call your mommy!

Yeah, yeah. He shut the door, then reopened it quickly. Tell my annoying sister hi for me too, will you?

She has a phone too, you know? He didn’t answer, just shut the door.

I walked back to my house and grabbed my car keys and my overnight bag. When I came back out, Zach was there leaning against my car. I dropped my bag onto the porch, figuring this might take a few minutes.

Going somewhere, Jess?

"As a matter

Reviews for Shadows of the Ancients

[sally · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Good book loved it would definitely read the next book