Trait: A Twisted Wolf Tale

By Rene Folsom

Being dead sucks.

Having a job while dead sucks even more.

Being forced to kill the supernatural of Relic, New York takes the cake.

Little did Annie know, a werewolf and a special group of elementals would change her outlook on her afterlife for good.

Enjoy the story of Annie and Arthur in this modern-day retelling of the classic tale Goldilocks.

Warning: This supernatural urban fantasy romance novella contains adult situations and is meant for ages 18+.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Rene Folsom
• Release date: Oct 4, 2017
• ISBN: 9781386969723

Book preview

Synopsis

Being dead sucks.

Having a job while dead sucks even more.

Being forced to kill the supernatural of Relic, New York takes the cake.

Little did Annie know, a werewolf and a special group of elementals would change her outlook on her afterlife for good.

Enjoy the story of Annie and Arthur in this modern-day retelling of the classic tale Goldilocks.

Warning: This supernatural urban fantasy romance novella contains adult situations and is meant for ages 18+.

Find out more on Rene’s website at

http://renefolsom.com/trait

Copyright © 2017 Rene Folsom

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission from the authors, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

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For Michael Loring—

who inspired me to bring the wolves out to play.

Table of Contents

Synopsis

Trait

The Chase

The Hideaway

The Mistake

The Cabin

The Relic

The Mission

The Interrogation

The Connection

The Reconnaissance

The Sibling

The Possession

The Ruse

The Host

The Hunt

The Association

The Mutiny

The End

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About Rene

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The Chase

The asshole had already gotten away from me twice in the past week. No fucking way would I allow it to happen again. He was going down, no matter the cost.

I cursed the body I’d taken over this time around as I hoofed it, running after my target. This chick seriously needed to hit the gym. While I prided myself on being able to keep up with the fastest beings out there, even shifters, I was still a slave to the physical capabilities of the humans I chose to overtake.

And, let’s face it, humans are fucking lazy.

I’d long since ditched the stupid heels my host had on, pounding the pavement in bare feet instead. The streets of Relic, New York were quiet at this hour, which made it much harder to keep from being detected.

My boss would kill me if I failed for the third time. Even though I was technically dead, he’d still find a way to make my afterlife a never-ending nightmare if I didn’t seal the deal. Despite the fact I didn’t have a pulse, I was sure as shit he would figure out a way to rip my heart out anyway. He was just that good—and frightening.

Stealth was my middle name, though. As soon as my target turned, his eyes darting around to find what was making such a racket, I ducked behind a dumpster. I cursed the heavy breaths that were laboring out from my host body’s lungs.

Next time I needed to find a host, I’d make sure to scout out the gym first. This out-of-shape shit was for the birds. At least she was drunk, so I could stay in control of her body for a while. Humans were so much easier to possess when they were inebriated.

My target didn’t seem to detect me yet, so why he continued to run was beyond my comprehension. He was a runner, though, which was how I’d lost him twice before. Thank the gods he wasn’t in his true form, or I’d never have a chance of keeping up.

Some would ask why I’d decided to be in human form while hunting down the world’s most dangerous paranormal. Most clearly didn’t understand what it was like to be a Soul—essentially a ghost. I wasn’t even visible in the afterlife. The tangible ability to touch things wasn’t in my repertoire, either. Taking a solid form as a spirit meant I’d need a necromancer, and I was smart enough to stay as far away as possible from those robe-wearing suckers.

My target was done looking around, his squinty eyes passing over my impromptu hiding spot several times before he finally ducked into a darkened doorway. The building was familiar to me. There was only one way out—the way he went in.

Wendigos, which was what my target was, often looked like normal humans, but they were anything but. The more human characteristics they possessed, the more dangerous they were to society as a whole. It was why this beast had to go—and now. It was odd, though. Most Wendigos kept to themselves, having an affinity for the cooler, wetter weather of Northern Michigan. Since this sorry excuse for a being had crossed over the New York border, my boss was all over it.

Even though paranormals tried to keep the peace between various species while still preserving the genetic lines of each kind, a Wendigo was an exception to every rule in the unwritten book. They were known as nature’s cannibals, average humans cursed with an unnatural hunger for flesh. Their human facades were retained, but only after devouring multiple people on a regular basis. The hungrier they got, the closer they were to transforming into their lanky, distorted form. They didn’t know the definition of inconspicuous. Therefore, they had to go. Not only that, but the last thing we needed were monsters roaming the earth, devouring innocent people whole. Most creatures couldn’t help themselves if they hurt a human, but these guys got off on going full glutton on a normal person. Uncool.

Quietly, I stood my ground, getting my gun in the ready position for this motherfucker. Any paranormal would know that an ordinary gun couldn’t take down even the tamest of monsters... it especially wouldn’t touch a giant like a Wendigo. This wasn’t a normal weapon, though. Designed to injure vampires, assuming they weren’t faster than the bullets, the Firefly had a special kind of ammunition that would ignite into flames as soon as it left the barrel. Modeled like a Colt revolver, this bad boy had one hell of a kick.

Fire was the only way to defeat a Wendigo. It was like they were allergic to even a small flicker or spark. Made it hard to kill them normally, but with this beautiful piece of weaponry, this mother-effer was going straight to ashes.

Standing by the entrance, I let my host’s heart rate slow a bit before reaching out and quietly opening the door. I peeked inside, seeing nothing but darkness. This unsettled me. It was a well-known fact that Wendigos were able to see in the dark, and I could not. When in spirit form, I could see the aura of any being within the dark, like brightly lit multicolored torches shining in the night. But when in possession of a human, I was limited to their perception of the world.

So annoying.

I pushed my way into the building, engulfing myself in darkness. Focusing on the sounds around me, I tried to pinpoint my target by his footsteps. He should still be unaware of my presence, so I’d hoped I would sense him stomping around somewhere close by.

I’ve had enough of you following me. The voice came from somewhere off to my left, sounding gnarled and angry.

Well, there went my element of surprise.

I spun in the direction of the comment, swinging the Firefly up and firing blindly. The hammer slammed and a flash of light erupted from the muzzle, illuminating the room for half a second. I caught a glimpse of the Wendigo, his eyes a milky white and his mouth full of jagged, yellow teeth. The incendiary bullet went wide, puncturing the stone wall far behind him. The stone snuffed the flame out after just a second, denying me the much-needed light.

Damn it, I cursed, pulling the hammer on my revolver back and bringing it closer to my chest, aiming directly ahead where I last saw the cannibalistic monster.

You think you can hit me in the dark? His voice was laced with humor and echoed throughout the empty room, as if coming from every direction. I spun, trying to pinpoint his location. Wendigos were fast, even in human form, so for all I knew, he was dancing around me. This is my domain, wretch.

I bit my lip, trying to remain calm. In the end, I would not be truly hurt. I was just a spirit, a non-corporeal being, so whatever he did would leave no scars on my true form. But my host would be devoured. Even if I didn’t truly care for the person I currently inhabited, I didn’t want her dead. I didn’t need a dead body to clean up. It was also a personal creed of mine to not hurt my hosts, if at all possible. The humans were just unfortunate enough to be close to whatever objective I was pursuing. They