The Witch the Wolves and the Huntsmen: A Little Red Riding Hood Novel, #3

By Cassandra Johnson

Elle Marshal and the Chaliceman wolves are back in the third and final installment of the Little Red Riding Hood novels where they will face their toughest challenge yet.

The canvas of the is future painted in shades of red and war is in the air as the Chaliceman twins return to Connecticut with an army of their own to battle for the title of Alpha against their foe, William Levins, acting head of the Connecticut Council of Wolves. The last remaining counterpart that began their journey when a string of serial killings threatened to expose their very existence to the human world and Gaerik Chaliceman was framed as the murderer.

With a coven of witches in tow, Elle begins to learn how to control her emerging powers as they find that their blood shed as awakened an ancient tribe of Huntsmen long since passed out of existence whose purpose is to hunt down those who disrupt the balance between the natural and the supernatural.

Can the witches and Elle hold off the Huntsmen's blind justice from leaving no one left standing or will they find an uncommon ally to aid in their war? What the future holds for the Chaliceman no one witch, wolf or huntsmen can say, only that there will be blood.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Cassandra Johnson
• Release date: Oct 14, 2019
• ISBN: 9781393809623

Cassandra Johnson

Growing up in the deep south I was taught some precious life lessons; you should always answer with Ma'am or Sir, tea that isn't sweet and iced is blasphemy, and that you catch a lot more flies with sugar than you do with vinegar. I was born in Fort Smith, Arkansas but I was raised in the small town of Marion, Arkansas a short fifteen-minute drive from Memphis, the birthplace of rock and roll. While it may not seem like an accomplishment to some, I am proud to say that I was a published author before the age of thirty and I have many more books left in my head to share with the world. My first novel, LRR Hood is a twist on the classic Little Red Riding Hood fable, and I currently have two more books lined up for a trilogy series of the main character, Elle Marshal's dramatic encounter with werewolves, one of my favorite mythical creatures. My writing continued to evolve from the time I was a teenager, getting involved in text-based roleplay games where my friends and I would create storyboards where we each contributed to the story through the eyes of the character's we chose to write for. I also love fan-fiction and was an avid reader and still am to this day. I decided to throw my hat in the ring and write some of my own fanfictions until eventually, I wanted to work with characters that were my own. From those days I continued to write short stories that never reached the public until I was introduced to Kindle Direct Publishing because while I wanted to be a writer and I wanted to publish my work, I never truly believed that anyone would publish my writing and I now have a work in progress list as long as my arm, and it continues to grow every day, LRR Hood won't be the last you hear from me.

Book preview

Chapter One

Elle your hands. Harriet pointed, though the entire kitchen was staring at her already. Even the witches looked on in amazement while Elle brought her hands up in front of her eyes. Lines of waving electricity shimmering for a few seconds longer before fading from sight, but even though she couldn’t see it anymore, Elle could still feel it. Tickling just below the surface of her skin.

How did you do that? Gaerik asked, running his fingers over his eye, then examining his skin where only moments before there was blood seeping from the torn flesh. The pain having completely vanished as if he’d never been wounded in the first place.

I, Elle began, but her voice shook when she tried to speak. I don’t know. I was just, she swallowed and tried to collect her thoughts. I just wanted to take the pain away. I can’t stand seeing any of you in pain and all I wanted was to make it better. She replied just as mystified as Gaerik was.

You used magic to heal him. Charlotte said, stating the obvious. It is one of the most common powers a witch hones early on when they are learning to use their powers.

No, I—, Elle started to deny it, but the evidence was right in front of her. How did I do that? She asked in confusion.

Most witches, when they are raised within the coven, come to a certain age when they began to show signs of their magical abilities. In this case, most of us know not who we are, but what we are. My grandmother always said that magic breeds magic. Charlotte explained.

Yeah, I had my first real experience in school. I got my first period and I bled straight through my jeans. I was so embarrassed that I refused to come out of the bathroom and somehow, I managed to turn my jeans the exact shade of the stain, so no one would notice and make fun of me. I think I was about ten years old. Jean Louise told them, shrugged sheepishly.

When we’re young our abilities usually manifest when we are under extra mental and emotional stress. Charlotte nodded. Except for Moonie. Her eyes narrowing softly as she looked at her niece. Moonie was born under a full moon and her mother was one of the strongest witches I’ve ever known.

Your compassion and the intensity of the situation helped to bring your power forward. You wanted so badly to stop Gaerik’s pain that you eliminated the source altogether. Moonie told Elle. And you didn’t go all black-veined like I do.

Elle would need some time to process this, but now wasn’t the time, there was so much happening and it already felt as if there was an invisible timer set up somewhere, and the clock was ticking down on their chances of survival.

Oh no, The low gush of Gallen’s voice pulled everyone’s attention back to the now. Molly and Shaye. He said their names in a whisper as if speaking them aloud, it would cause the two women to suddenly show up at the worst possible time.

What about them? Gaerik asked, his index finger tracing over the scars that ran from his temple and through his brow and eye.

Lucas, he is Molly’s grandson and Shaye is his sister. This is going to be hard for them and even harder for us to explain. Gallen said, releasing a troubled sigh.

Not to mention their pack, they have a new Alpha now. Moonie pointed out, gesturing toward Marik, a fact that no one else seemed to have remembered yet, but Marik had been the one to kill Lucas.

This isn’t going to blow over well. Gallen said, bringing his hand up to scrub over his face, the mans tired blue eyes looking over the scene in the kitchen, dreading speaking to the two women and the rest of the pack.

No shit, but what choice did Marik have? He couldn’t just let the son of a bitch kill me. Gaerik pointed out angrily. He nearly killed Marik and Elle the first time, he could have killed us all and we never would have known who was behind it.

Having a witness to the attack would make explaining this to the pack a lot easier. Marik finally spoke, crossing his arms over his chest, forcing Elle to concentrate on him fully and if it was possible, the man looked as if his muscles had swollen even bigger since the attack.

We could only be so lucky. Gaerik replied gruffly, shaking his head as he got up and got a beer from the refrigerator and snapped it open, chugging despite the hour of the day.

But we do have proof. Alex said, holding his phone. Maybe we don’t have an eyewitness to the attack, but we can prove that Lucas was working for the other side and he wanted us dead. Alex managed to muster a small smile of encouragement.

I hope it’s enough. Elle frowned, falling into a chair and looking down at her hands.

I might be able to help with that. Moonie said, her voice coming out a little hesitant. Part of my abilities is that I’m able to feel the emotional atmosphere of the people around me, I have ever since I was a little girl. No one can hide their feelings from me. I can also read minds and look into individuals’ memories. The witch explained.

That’s a useful gift Moonie, but it still might be a case of your word against an angry pack and a mourning grandmother. They could say that you were in on Lucas’ death and you are just trying to cover for them. Gallen expressed.

No, I mean that I can help the pack see Gaerik’s memory of the event. I can act as a conduit between Gaerik and the pack and show them what actually happened for themselves. Moonie clarified.

You can do that? Elle asked, looking up from her hands in disbelief.

It’s difficult to do, but yes. I can. Moonie nodded. The witch didn’t want to tell them how dangerous it was for her, reaching inside someone else’s mind to retrieve their memories and interject them into another’s. Many witches had found themselves lost before. Trapped inside someone else’s mind until they found their way back out though some never did and resulted not only their bodies being comatose but also driving the host insane. I can help Molly and the pack see that Marik and Gaerik had no choice. It was them or Lucas.

Let’s just hope they are willing to believe it. Marik said, his chin dipping in Moonie’s direction. Even people who’ve witnessed terrible events sometimes refuse to believe their own eyes. I don’t want that to happen here.

They’ll have to. Elle replied, though her heart wasn’t lightened by the thought of doing this to Molly and Shaye. It wasn’t easy losing a family member, but to also find out that the person you knew all your life and loved, someone you grew up with –was one of the bad guys? Elle herself was having difficulty coming to grips with this information, but deep down she had to question if she was really that surprised. From the moment she found Lucas in her kitchen that first morning she’d had a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach about his presence and she’d told herself it was just her anxiety about why they were here. Easily she could ponder whether there was something they could have done differently, but it didn’t make any difference now that they were living in these shoes.

Something was trying to tell her that Lucas couldn’t be trusted, and now there was proof.

Chapter Two

With Shaye and Molly down the street packing, they missed Marik bringing his twin back to the house after he was attacked by Lucas. Now, Gaerik’s wounds were healed, but the evidence would forever remain a part of him. Gaerik’s handsome face was marred by claw marks that ran down the side of his face from his temple to the top of his cheekbone and through his eye, and his clothes were still stained with blood as the household ascended the porch steps of Molly Pritchett’s home.

If ever there was a time in Elle’s life when she desperately needed a valium, it was now. Elle felt as if she was going to faint dead away inside her shoes as Marik knocked on the door. The wolves could hear Molly and Shaye as they talked, their movements from inside the house as they busily put together bags to take with them to New Haven, Connecticut –likely the first time either the grandmother or her granddaughter had ever been that far away from home in their entire lives.

Coming! It was Shaye’s voice that met their ears on her way to the door, but her naturally bubbly nature simmered as she opened the door and looked at the somber expressions on their faces. The wolves, the witches, Elle and Alex all stood there, their hands clasped in front of them.

What happened? Shaye’s face was pale white as she pulled the door all the way open and unlocked the screen door so that they could come inside.

It’s a lot to explain, Gallen began as Molly came out of the dining room, carrying folded laundry from her utility room. Obviously, they were folding clothes that would need to come with them and scurrying trying to supplement their winter wardrobe for a much colder climate. Ladies, you need to sit down. Gallen had affected the most soothing timbre to his voice, not that it would make this any easier for them, but the man knew how important it was to keep them calm.

By the sound of the older Alpha’s voice, Molly already knew that someone was dead, but why they would be here, the woman wasn’t clear on. She’d been subject to this call before and been there when others received the world-shattering news of a lost loved one, so Molly knew what was coming. Shaye on the other hand was completely new to this. The young woman was just a baby when her mother passed away from cancer, her father had never really in the picture, not after Shaye was born. It seemed that their parent’s only came around twice in their lifetime to help bring two children into the world and then they parted ways.

Molly took Shaye’s hand and they sat down on the couch together, both staring at the Chaliceman clan as they entered the living room.

Gaerik, what happened to your face? Shaye asked, her sandy, caramel colored hair falling over one shoulder while she tilted her head, looking at the man, whom she’d just met a few weeks ago. Shaye knew at times she was oblivious to some details, but she wasn’t that blind. Those scars had not been there earlier this morning at breakfast and now they were.

I don’t even know how to begin. Gaerik replied, grabbing a chair and bringing it to sit in front of the two women. The only thing that he’d bothered doing was washing his hands before they left the house to walk down the street and bring the bad news to Molly and Shaye. The sensation of dried blood on his skin was one that he couldn’t ignore. Leaning forward on his elbows, he took each of their hands. You are both aware of what happened yesterday. William Levins sent assassins to Arkansas in the hopes that he might find us off  our guard because we thought we were some place safe, well my associate Alex was able to dig up some dirt to give these wolves names and faces and what he found was shocking. Some of the wolves here, in the Arkansas pack as well as the ones who followed us from Connecticut were working for Levins and, it appears that Lucas was as well. Gaerik inhaled, letting this information sink in, allowing them both some time to process what he told them. He might as well start from the beginning and bring them up to the bad news.

What? Molly was the first to speak, shaking her head quickly. My Lucas? No. Never. Other wolves I might believe, but never my grandson. He was helping you. Molly said, pulling her hand away, her temper rising, causing her cheeks to flush red.

Nana hold on. Shaye whispered, sensing there was still more.

Despite Gaerik’s simmering anger towards Lucas, he wouldn’t speak ill of the dead, especially directly in front of family. Not when there was more bad news that he had to give to them today.

Alex was able to reach a contact who tapped into Levins’ phone records and one of the numbers that called every day belonged to Lucas, there were also photographs of one of the wolves that followed us from Connecticut meeting with Levins. No one has seen him since the attack. Gaerik continued. While I was in the woods, helping Lucas dispose of the bodies he attacked me. Gaerik’s voice was so soft as he said this, bringing his empty hand to his temple, then down his neck and shoulder allowing the women to feast their eyes on the physical evidence of the attack. He began working with Levins nearly as soon as he found out that we were here, he contacted pack members that went with Elle back to Connecticut a few years ago looking for information on what was happening, if he could make sense of any of the rumors, I guess and went directly to William. He must have promised him a lot of money for our lives because in his own words, that’s why he was doing it. Lucas wanted money.

You are lying. Molly shook her head violently, Why would you say these things about my grandson, he’s done so much to help you. Elle, how can you stand there and allow him to say this? Molly’s short clipped hair shook with her movements, her anger coming to a boil.

I’m sorry Mrs. Pritchett. You know I would never let anyone slander someone from your family, but it’s all true. Elle stepped forward, moving to the armchair next to the couch, nervously shaking seeing Molly so upset, knowing that the worst was yet to come.

Nana, I think they are telling the truth. Shaye said, she was still holding onto Gaerik’s hand for dear life, tears had already begun to build in her eyes. I didn’t say anything before because I didn’t know what I heard. You and Lucas are always telling me that I jump to too many conclusions, but the day before the Chaliceman’s and Elle were attacked at their house, I overheard Lucas on the phone talking to someone whose voice I didn’t recognize. He didn’t realize that I overheard him, but they were talking about the Chaliceman’s and money. Shaye sniffed quickly, looking at Gaerik again and shook her head. I’m so sorry that I didn’t say anything before, but I didn’t know.

Gaerik shook his head, his thumb caressing her knuckles. It’s okay, Shaye. His voice nearly a whisper as he looked into her eyes. They were almost the same eyes that looked at him not even a full hour again seeking to kill him, but they held none of their malice, only deep regret.

Shaye, how can you say that? Molly snapped, standing up quickly and crossing her arms over her chest. Lucas would never do something like this, ever. I won’t believe it.

I’m truly sorry Molly, but it’s true. Gallen said, stepping in. "No one wants to believe the worst of someone they love, especially a child that you