Unknown Touch: Werewolf Series, #1

By Gina Marie Long

Unknown Touch: Werewolf Series, 1. Approx. 94,000 words.

Kara McBride has been abducted by a secret organization known as The Liaison. Their mission: intervene and neutralize dangerous supernatural situations.

Gina Marie Long introduces readers to her signature blend of paranormal thrillers, urban fantasy and light romance.

The Liaison accidentally discovered Kara's unique psychic ability to manipulate thoughts and emotions. Her powers could be the essential key in saving a pack of werewolves from self destruction. They persuade her to join their covert operation...

In the woods surrounding Hamlin, Kentucky, a few rogue werewolves have split off from the main pack and committed violent crimes, bringing unwanted attention to the area, and risking their hidden existence from society. Kara will attempt creating mental connections with the wolves to calm their aggression, thus modifying their behavior. 

But, in the midst of chaos and danger, a love triangle develops. Kara must choose between a human... or a werewolf. Her decisions could be life-altering for her and others as she delves into the unknown.

If you love supernatural thrillers, buy UNKNOWN TOUCH: WEREWOLF SERIES, 1 today!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Gina Marie Long
• Release date: Jul 28, 2015
• ISBN: 9781516331451

Gina Marie Long

AUTHOR'S MESSAGE: Gina's fiction stories are inspired from her interest in the supernatural, science fiction and fantasy world. She enjoys reading, watching evening TV shows, movies and listening to music. Writing indulges her passion for the entertainment arts, giving her active mind a playground of possibilities to explore. She is active on social media sites and blogs, making connections with others who share the same interests.  "It's exhilarating for me to create strong, unusual characters with thrilling story lines, and to have readers who fall in love with them… or want to strangle them! I like writing tense situations with the clock ticking down, making readers wonder, ‘Eeek! What happens next?’ [evil laugh]” ~~Gina She lives in Highland, Illinois, with her husband and Jessie Cat. If you liked the book and have a moment, I’d really appreciate a short review on the page where you bought the book (even one sentence will do!). Your help in spreading the word is greatly valued and reviews make a huge difference in helping new readers find my books. Thank you!! Sign up for my VIP Readers Group. You’ll get Hunt of the Unknown FREE plus: FREE BONUS MATERIAL PDF (Includes:  FAQ on several books, Interviews, Poems, Book Signing Photos, Book Trailer Links, etc.). Once per month: receive an email with sales alerts, giveaways and/or new releases.  Twice per year: drawing for print book of choice.  Once per year: drawing for $20 gift card for ebooks.  Ten (10) randomly chosen readers who leave reviews will receive the next ebook published for FREE. GET STARTED HERE: http://www.ginamarielong.com/freebook/ Connect with Gina online: http://www.ginamarielong.com http://www.facebook.com/ginamarielongfans http://www.twitter.com/ginamarielong

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

Introduction

I stared at the bathroom mirror, inspecting the dark circles under my eyes. I didn’t sleep soundly through the night. During the last two weeks, I awoke every morning confused and tired. The vivid and realistic dreams haunted me for several seconds until I could convince myself I wasn’t asleep anymore.

One specific dream invaded my mind every night. If I had other dreams, I never remembered them. Sometimes I wondered if this was the only dream I experienced each night.

Of course, the dream that consumed me just happened to include a mysterious and incredibly hot guy. Most of the images and feelings I brought to my waking thoughts indicated this man was upset and brooding.

I’m sure we talked… but I just couldn’t remember what we talked about. And his face blurred when I tried to focus on it. Details of the dreams drifted from my mind shortly after I awoke.

Bummer. If I was stuck on instant replay for so many nights, you’d think I’d be able to recall a little more of what he looked like.

Kara! Are you eating breakfast or not? Mom shrieked from downstairs.

Same routine every morning. Dad relaxed at the kitchen table sipping his usual cup of black coffee, munching on buttered, half-burnt toast while reading the morning paper. Mom always finished eating first, cleaned her breakfast mess, and assembled the numerous items for Dad’s lunch box.

Being the only child, my parents had a tendency to treat me as if I were still 14. They hated to see me grow up. Well, within another few weeks, I would turn 21. Yippee. Perhaps since I still lived at home, chosen not to attend college, had a dead end, low-paying job and no steady boyfriend, my parents felt they had the right to treat me like a teenager.

Boyfriends. I had a few over the years, but none held my attention for long, and most frustrated me to the point I always broke up. Nothing really unusual about the dating. But after about a month their real personalities surfaced, the newness wore off, and I found myself aggravated with their attitudes. I’d drop hints hoping they would change and act the way I wanted them to act. Sometimes this persuasion worked... for a while. Then the relationships grew awkward, phony and strained. Before long, we’d break up, and go our separate ways.

I checked the bathroom clock and picked up my pace, not wanting to be late for work. As I closed the mirror on the cabinet, I noticed how my dark, blonde hair needed some highlights. I just hadn’t wanted to bother with it lately. And my bloodshot brown eyes reflecting in the mirror clearly shouted I did not sleep well, like someone who had a nightmare.

I tripped rushing down the stairs in my zombie-like mindset, but caught myself before tumbling to the bottom. Making it to the kitchen, I plopped on a chair and shoveled the lukewarm oatmeal into my mouth.

Soon, I’d be heading out the door to my less than exciting job at the local bakery. Oh boy, another fun-filled day whipping up calorie-ridden cakes, pies and cookies. I hated baking. But I liked eating. Somehow I managed to keep the weight off. Maybe I had a high metabolism.

Glancing up from his newspaper, Dad asked, So, are you coming directly home from work to help me rake and burn the leaves?

Gee, I suppose that’s the plan. What else have I got to do? I said, rolling my eyes.

You can drop the attitude. Just wanting to know if I can expect you or should I tackle it myself?

Yep, I’ll be here. I grabbed my purse and with a sigh, mumbled, See you guys later. Off to work.

I trudged out to my car parked on the driveway. My parents’ vehicles sat nicely tucked away in the warm garage.

During the month of November in the tiny town of Marine, Illinois, there was a 50/50 chance of scraping frost off your car windows in the morning. On those particular days, I ended up with four ridiculous and dangerous one foot by one foot circles of cleared off glass that allowed me to peer through on all sides of the car.

Thankfully, that morning the amount of frost barely required any work on my part to remove.

It doesn’t take long to drive the six miles to my job over in Highland. Some days I wished for a few extra miles of driving just to clear my head and relax listening to music. But at that time of the morning most radio stations were all talk and rarely played any music.

As I began to cross the dam, which stretched over Silver Lake, the car started to drift towards the center line. I adjusted the steering wheel but it didn’t respond under my control.

Terrified, I attempted turning the wheel left and right to get some kind of reaction but it wouldn’t budge! The brakes, gas pedal - nothing worked for me. I swear it seemed as if the car had a mind of its own and took over driving itself, leaving me helpless as the driver. I knew I was in serious trouble.

Everything happened so fast that I couldn’t think what I should do next to avoid an accident.

The car veered to the left, crossed the opposite lane which luckily had no oncoming traffic, crashed through the guardrail and plunged head first down into the lake.

The impact of the car hitting the water caused the airbags to deploy. The force first threw me back into the seat then flung my body forward into the airbag. I cried out from the pain as my nose and neck absorbed the jolt and shock.

My purse flew off the passenger seat. The cell phone was nestled inside it. In my trapped position, I couldn’t see my purse, though. Even if I found my phone, would I have time to make a call for help?

Terror flooded my mind as I watched water swiftly flood the car. I saw no possible escape as I pressed my hands against the airbag.

Suddenly a dark image floated past the windshield. Was someone trying to rescue me? How could anyone have found me so fast?

I heard something solid smack the glass twice on the passenger side. The window burst inward from the pressure of the water. I screamed and threw my hands around my head.

The one thing I knew, without a doubt, I would drown in this freezing water. I was going to die! That was my only thought.

I held my breath and closed my eyes as the water surrounded me. My heart hammered so hard I thought it would explode.

I. Am. Dying.

... and I passed out.

****

I’m not sure how long I remained unconscious. But I suddenly heard an unfamiliar voice trying desperately to get my attention.

Kara? Can you hear me? Are you alright? This person next to my right ear kept repeating the questions. There was a sense of urgency and worry in his voice.

I answered immediately, flailing my arms at him, I’m okay, I’m okay, I think. What happened? Where am I?

I’m Dominic. We rescued you from your sinking car in the lake. Well, I personally didn’t, that was Zac’s job. I know you’re terrified and confused but everything will be explained. And in great detail. We’re in a special underground facility that’s safe and private. To be blunt, you’re here because we need your help. What you could do for us… you could be so valuable in our work, he explained.

I gawked at this man wondering if he was insane. What in the world was he babbling about? I just about drowned and he’s telling me how someone or some group needs MY help?! I thought I was the one needing help here.

I looked around at the room, trying to grasp at clues. It appeared I sat on an old hospital bed, covered with thick blankets. Even under the warmth of the blankets, my teeth chattered from my wet, cold clothes as the lake water had drenched me from head to toe.

I didn’t understand what happened to me and felt at a loss for words. The last I recalled, my car took a nose dive into Silver Lake. Since I’m not much of a swimmer, drowning seemed pretty evident at that time.

Now here I sat with a stranger staring at me. News stories of abduction flitted through my thoughts. He flinched as I remained silent.

Wrapping the blanket tightly around my shoulders, I watched him. He smiled and swallowed loudly. I’m sure he hoped I’d simply accept my crazy predicament and that I’d believe whatever story he told me.

Dominic turned to a side table and gathered the dry, fresh clothes sitting on top of it. He tentatively handed me the clothes and pointed to a door about twenty feet away.

Here - take these and get yourself cleaned up. That’s a restroom. It has a shower, too. And don’t worry, you can lock the door. I’ll explain everything when you’re done.

I didn’t question him as I hopped off the table and scurried to the restroom. I was wondering, though, how could he have known what size clothes I wear? Just the fact that there were extra clothes sitting around this place to begin with seemed odd.

I locked the door and searched for any cameras but found nothing. As I inspected myself in the bathroom mirror, I saw a large, red bump on my forehead. A little blood trickled out of the corner of my left nostril, but any serious bleeding had stopped. Otherwise, I appeared unscathed from the accident.

I smelled awful from the mucky lake water and shivered wearing the wet clothes. I quickly stripped. Maybe a hot shower would warm me and clear my head.

My brain kept asking itself, should I be pressing for answers or running for my life? And yet, my curiosity level was piqued as if on some great adventure. At first, I assumed this was the local hospital and some hero brought me here after saving my life. I ought to be grateful for the rescue but instead felt an unnerving twinge of doom.

Wait! Dominic mentioned this place was underground. And where are all the other patients and nurses? Hospitals are not normally built underground and I knew the local one definitely was not buried in the earth. That feeling of doom was definitely calling my name loud and clear. Panic started setting in.

After freshening up the best I could with what little I had, I emerged from the restroom and found Dominic waiting patiently, leaning on a nearby counter.

Kara, come on. Let’s go to the conference room and we’ll get your questions answered, he said, gesturing to follow.

I trailed behind him obediently. What else was I going to do? We walked down a long, dimly lit hallway. This was not a hospital by any means. I stifled the urge to take off running because I didn’t know where I would go.

My heart raced and my head pounded. I felt sure an anxiety attack was coming on, since I was prone to have anxiety issues. I tried to breathe deeply and focus on my surroundings.

We entered a large room with an oblong table at which three people sat. They abruptly stood up when we approached, like you’d do to show respect to someone. I had never seen any of them before.

Let me introduce ourselves to you, Miss Kara McBride. A rather tall, thin, pale man stepped forward. The mere fact he knew my name sent chills down my spine. Maybe they located my driver’s license during the rescue and learned who I was.

I’ll just keep with first names for now, he said. Easier to remember. My name is Eli. And this is Zac and Tessa. You’ve already met Dominic, of course. We call ourselves The Liaison. I’m sure your mind is shooting off in a million directions wondering the purpose of all this. Well, I’m not going to sugar-coat this or baby you about anything. I think in order to gain your trust, it’s best to be honest and up-front with you. Let’s sit down.

Eli jumped in with the details at that point. Kara, you have an ability - a special gift - that you may not be completely aware of yet. It’s considered a type of mind reading and a suggestive thought implanting process. If you think back in your life, you should recall occurrences where this ability came into play. Most of the time it occurs when you sleep. But, also, if you really want something to go your way in particular, or someone isn’t reacting the way you want them to, you may be using your gift to influence their behavior even while awake. It’s usually very subtle; so subtle that you may not have realized what you were doing to them.

Oh... my... God! Memories flashed through my head of those old boyfriends and how I had wished they could just change a few of their ridiculous habits, which would then make them more suited to me. And then for a period of time it did seem like the relationship went along smoothly. Obviously it never lasted very long since here I was all alone again. Could Eli be telling me the truth? Had I been influencing their behavior?

I blurted, Yeah, I guess there have been some weird things going on with me now that you mention it. And I should point out that I’ve had a horrible time sleeping the last couple of weeks. I keep dreaming of some man. I haven’t a clue who he is. He’s really ticked off or upset over something happening in his life.

Eli continued, Well, I’ll get to that soon. As I was saying, we have been monitoring you - shall I say, keeping an eye on you - for about six months. But you were still fairly young for this venture and we disliked the idea of disrupting your life too early until we absolutely had to. More recently, though, we had become aware that you were not happy with yourself and felt lost and depressed. We also knew your abilities had grown stronger. In the meantime, our situation" had gotten much more serious. So, we all took a vote and agreed this would be the best time to introduce you to our group.

I’m sorry, this sounds harsh, but you cannot go back to your old life. At least not right now. To all your family and friends, it will appear that you ran away. I know it seems like we’re holding you captive, but we are desperate and greatly need the help we believe you could provide. Please listen with an open mind because you are in for quite a shock and more than likely won’t want to believe us.

I sat there speechless, feeling completely helpless and all alone. Tears spilled down my cheeks. I really, truly was held captive no matter how they worded it. A terrible, foreboding feeling bubbled inside me that my entire life as I knew it was literally on the brink of being turned upside down. And what was Eli referring to every time he mentioned their situation? It didn’t sound positive and yet here I was forced to go along on this wild ride.

Eli readjusted his chair to find a more comfortable position. He was tall, probably 6’4" or more. By the way he took command of the conversation, he obviously was the person in charge. But in charge of who and what precisely? Were there many other people involved? He remained calm and confident while I undoubtedly looked as if I would burst at the seams in hysterics.

At least, Eli seemed concerned about my well-being and I didn’t feel threatened. He was so much older than the rest of them, perhaps in his 60s whereas the others I guessed to be 23 to 35 years old. His alert eyes and face radiated with the immense amount of knowledge I just knew he possessed.

Dominic sat next to me during Eli’s introduction and attempted to console me, hoping to prevent a nervous breakdown. His warm hand gently touched my shaking arm for a few brief seconds, then he awkwardly withdrew it.

I wiped away my tears and somehow felt a slight connection to Dominic. I wasn’t sure why at the time but his worry for me actually did relieve a tiny bit of my tension and I started to breathe a little slower and easier.

Dominic had adorable wavy, brown hair and wore studious looking glasses, giving him a mature, but wild professor look. He wore casual clothes and was of average build. Kind of messy cute. I suspected he might only be a couple of years older than me.

He watched me with such intensity that I found it difficult to look away. Nothing malicious, just a seemingly all knowing, penetrating gaze.

After a few moments of gathering his thoughts and finessing his chair position, Eli said, "I am a physician and a scientist. I’ve had several successful inventions and the profits have provided me with a very comfortable lifestyle. I own this facility. And, yes, you are still in the Highland area, just underground. It is part of an old military base built in the 1950’s. There are tunnels going for miles in several directions connecting unused, vacant missile silos. One of those silos is under Silver Lake. Very few people are even aware this base ever existed.

Anyway, he continued, getting back to who we are. Dominic has psychic abilities similar to yours along with some telekinetic skills. During the last year, he’s greatly enhanced his capabilities. I’m proud of him and his dedication.

Dominic broke in at that point, "And I used to be a Special Agent with the FBI in an undisclosed division best described as The X-Files - if you’ve heard of that TV show. I only worked there two years. I dealt with investigating the odd and unexplained cases and many times was required to use my psychic skills. I also had to be involved with some of the cover-ups when they didn’t want the public knowing certain things. A few years ago, Dr. Henderson... uh... Eli as he prefers we call him, was brought in to help me with one of my investigations for a couple of weeks. Then about a year ago, he contacted me on his own and requested I join him working on secret missions."

My fingers rapidly tapped the tops of my thighs. I felt completely overwhelmed, shocked and wondered what in the world they wanted from me. What was this all about?

Kara, we really are trying to get to the point of this as quickly as we can for you, Dominic explained, pleading with his eyes for me to hang in there.

Taking her turn, Tessa spoke for the first time. We want you to know who we are and hopefully then we can better gain your trust. Please believe me, we mean you no harm whatsoever. That’s not our intention or even a remote thought.

I noticed Tessa’s natural beauty at that moment. She wore no makeup, not that she needed it with her perfect complexion and olive skin tone. She had dark eyes and medium length black hair pulled back in a low ponytail. She was definitely in top physical shape and looked ready to punch someone’s lights out if threatened.

I’m an ex-CIA agent. I did a lot of undercover work out in the field. Tracking and hunting are my specialties. I also happen to be a whiz on computers and am able to gain access to places I really shouldn’t have access to anymore. Tessa gave me a sly, sideways grin.

The last person, Zac, revealed his summarized, personal story to me. I’m an ex-Navy SEAL and have always been up for a challenge. Like Tessa, I’m known for my awesome tracking and hunting skills. I can also blend in with my surroundings like a chameleon. I’m an extreme survivalist.

With that, Zac casually leaned back in his chair, crossed his muscular arms, and waited for someone else to take the lead. He was tall with very short dark brown hair and was undeniably good-looking. He obviously spent a great deal of time working out, training, and doing who knows what to create and maintain this perfect body. I didn’t second guess his ability to use his body as a deadly weapon should the need arise.

When the introductions ended, I asked, "Okay. Nice, interesting group of people you’ve got here but what dire situation do you keep referring to? And more importantly, how can you possibly think I can do anything to help?!"

CHAPTER 2

Situation

Eli cleared his throat, fumbled with the buttons on his shirt, and prepared himself to launch into the next segment of my induction into their secret world. Kara, you and your family went on a vacation down in Kentucky about a month ago, correct?

How would you know about that? I questioned.

Well, I take that as a yes, he said. "Remember, earlier I mentioned we had been watching you, so we do know quite a lot about you and your family. That trip to the Kentucky Lake resort was a pivotal point in what’s happening here, and why we brought you onboard right now. We couldn’t believe the coincidence of you going directly to the very area where all the trouble is brewing and where we’ll be going soon.

We’ve tried to figure out how that was possible. Dominic and I came to the conclusion that because you both have psychic abilities and are within a few miles of each other, you were subconsciously or unconsciously homing in on or drawn to Dominic. Or he could have been picking up on your brain waves. Since he has been mentally checking in on you anyway, a connection had been established between you two, even if you were not aware of it, Eli said.

I didn’t like the idea of Dominic keeping tabs on me and diving into the depths of my mind whenever he chose. I glared at him and he sheepishly turned his eyes away. Guilty. How much did he know about me? It made me sick to think about it. I decided to stay silent and continued to listen.

Either way, Eli proposed, "you must have unintentionally plucked that exact location from Dom’s thoughts and then suggested it to your parents for a family trip. While you were in Kentucky, you appear to have made some kind of psychic or physical contact with our acquaintance, Daniel Taylor. Your mind was drawn to him, since he also has a type of psychic ability and has been unusually upset lately. He’s emitting a type of energy that you naturally picked up on. This triggered your series of dreams about him. We hope your ability of mental persuasion can assist us with his problems.

It’s time to tell you what makes this so shocking. Ready? Eli glanced at everyone in the room and turned his attention back to me. Daniel Taylor is a werewolf - but a good one. He’s not bad or evil.

Dead silence in the room.

All eyes watched me, waiting for my reaction. I blinked several times. I shook my head from side to side and scrunched my cheeks.

What?! I screeched.

Dominic reeled me back in and explained, This all relates to one of my assigned FBI investigations. The government is completely aware of the existence of werewolves (among other things we can chat about at another time) and tries carefully to cover it up. Everything had been pretty calm for some time but Eli knew there was trouble brewing in Kentucky. So, he created this covert operation and handpicked each of us to work together and try to help Daniel resolve the disputes within the werewolf packs. If the wolves draw too much attention to themselves, the government will step in and things will seriously get messy. Daniel’s pack had a lot of disagreements about how they should be allowed to live their lives. A small renegade group decided to split from Daniel’s pack and became rebellious and dangerous to animals and humans. He’s at a loss on how to control the big, bad wolves - a little pun there if you will.

Dominic paused a second to catch his breath. He seemed anxious to hurry and tell me the whole story.

Everyone would like to find a resolution before it becomes a total killing spree. I suppose that sounds pretty bad, doesn’t it? Dominic said. But Daniel is being threatened by one of the bad wolves, Stephen. He warns that if Daniel doesn’t back off from interfering with the new pack’s lifestyle, he can expect a war. Daniel only wants their race to coexist peacefully with humans and to keep their true identity under wraps. You can imagine the consequences if the general public knew about werewolves. They would be hunted, captured, killed, and who knows what? Daniel has been spending a lot of energy covering up accidents down in Kentucky. Most of the problems are coming from Stephen. So, enter our little group - The Liaison - to intervene and neutralize the situation. That’s it in a nutshell.

I said, I don’t suppose you’re making this up, huh? Or that it’s some science fiction movie you want me to be a superstar in? Or maybe I’m under the influence of a drug you injected me with? Or I’m just having a nightmare and in ten minutes I’ll wake up?

I looked at the doorway, hoping a camera man would walk into the room and I’d be told this was a prank. But no one cracked a smile, no one acted suspicious. Reality hit me hard upside the head. The pieces of the puzzle slammed together.

This is crazy, I stressed. So you’re telling me I am really dreaming about a werewolf named Daniel. And I’m supposed to magically get into his thoughts and convince him and some others to be good little werewolves?

Actually, Tessa joined in, you need to get into Stephen’s head because he’s the bad guy… or wolf. If he’s better able to control his emotions and feelings, then his aggression and wild behavior will also be under control. Hopefully, if and when he is under control, the werewolves’ lives will return to normal, or what would be considered normal for werewolves. We don’t want to kill any of them, if that can be avoided. But Stephen has gone off the deep end. He’s murdered at least one human, if not more, even though it seems he was provoked in this particular incident. He was backed into a corner, and we know what happens when an animal is cornered. Basically, a farmer caught Stephen eating one of his prized cows. The farmer had his gun with him and took a shot at Stephen but because Stephen was in the shape of a werewolf, the farmer didn’t have a chance. Stephen was just too strong, too fast and agile… and the bullet didn’t hit him. He killed the farmer.

Zac cleared his throat, shifting the attention on him. What Stephen did - going after the landowner’s livestock - was wrong. The majority of werewolves really do want to fit in with humans. There aren’t that many of them. When they’re running around as wolves, it’s critical that they lay low and stay out of the news. They look like us when in human form. They eat the same foods we do and behave like us. When they turn into werewolves, they are much larger than a regular wolf - about twice the size. And watch out for their strength and speed. They can be dangerous and deadly. But the good wolves are interesting, cool people to be around. I say people" because they don’t shape shift into wolves