The Lycan's Redemption

By Heather C. Myers

Go to bed with genetically enhanced shifter, Shane August...

Aubrey Greene is a student journalist for The Somerset Purpose. She tries to write about the truth, without an angle, without making a point. Even if that means writing an article showing compassion for a mass murderer.

The Lone Wolf kills people.

Specific people.

People who made him what he is today.

A shifter.

He wasn’t born a shifter, he was made into one. In an ironic twist of fate, it both saved him and ruined him.

But nobody knows this. Nobody wants to know who the Lone Wolf was. Nobody wants to be confronted with the fact that underneath the violence, the Lone Wolf is still a man.

Shane August.

Except Aubrey, and she plans to change all that.

Until she gets swept up in a fight that isn’t hers. Until the Lone Wolf tracks her down himself and kidnaps her himself.

Now, Aubrey is forced to find out if it's for her own protection or is it to silence her himself?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Heather C. Myers
• Release date: Oct 10, 2021

Heather C. Myers

Full disclosure: I am an acquired taste. I'm a typical blonde Orange County suburbanite who says 'like' more than necessary, laughs loud and probably obnoxiously, and loves to dance in the rain. I'm a 25 year old college graduate with more than a few tricks up my sleeve, and I also happen to be a pretty big Ducks fan. Oh, and I'm a writer. Like, for real.I recently signed with Anchor Group Publishing, which will see two of my series being published this year. I've self-published over 15 books, with more on the way, so I'm familiar with both a hybrid-traditional publishing method as well as self-publishing.I don't speak in third person (normally) nor do I wear glasses (except when I'm feeling particularly mischievous). I'm lucky to have found my soul mate at the ripe old age of 22, even though he frustrates me on purpose to get a reaction out of me. We live near Disneyland, have two rambunctious female puppies, and have a beautiful baby girl. He has two amazing boys, and has gotten me hooked on Smallville, watching soccer (okay, okay FOOTBALL - FC Barcelona, baby!), and Cancun Juice.

Book preview

1

Aubrey Greene leaned back in her chair as she continued to stare at the computer screen. She was rereading her article on Noah Wright and his ferocious group of werewolves. She had her index finger cupping the tip of her chin and she blinked a few times, trying to water her eyes.

The article was supposed to be a warning to those in Somerset who were considering joining Noah Wright’s compound deep in the Black Forest. Wolf pack wasn’t even appropriate anymore because he allowed citizens who were completely human to join. It was like a band of misfits who had a leader who was scary as shit. Aubrey shuddered just thinking about the time he beat up a Nocturnal Defense Society agent and then transformed into a werewolf before ripping his throat out. Some people, herself included, actually felt that the agent deserved it.

Noah Wright and a select crew of werewolves were genetically enhanced. They were soldiers who were dying and a man, Graham Darrow, who ran the head of research at the NDS, somehow created this serum that could simultaneously save and ruin lives: in order to live rather than die, these men were injected with a serum that transformed them into werewolves. Because werewolves had healing properties in their DNA that made them immune to anything save for silver, the serum saved their lives.

Noah Wright took to it immediately. He started his own pack of other genetically-enhanced werewolves and built their compound in the Black Forest, where no other wolf pack had claimed territory. When he realized he still needed resources, he started inviting the people who didn’t quite fit in, who didn’t want to follow the same rules society followed, to be part of his community, though it was made clear that they needed to provide a service or a resource for the greater good of the community before they were accepted into the pack.

The only person who hadn’t taken to the serum was Shane August—now known only as the Lone Wolf. No one had ever gotten close enough to him to actually talk to him about what was going on, but it was clear he was unhappy about what had happened to him without his consent.

He came on the scene, guns blazing.

At first, he was surrounded by chaos. No one knew what he wanted. His killings seemed random. But that didn’t sit well with Aubrey. How could it be random when the Lone Wolf was shooting people twenty plus times? There had to be a personal connection to him and his victims.

So she did some digging. And was surprised to find that it was easier than she believed. She didn’t look into the Lone Wolf, she looked into the victims. They led her back to the NDS and that led her to the NDS and their secret research facility. And that led to Danielle Darrow’s dad.

Danielle Darrow was a senior at Somerset U who shared some required classes with Aubrey freshmen and sophomores had to take before they were allowed to take their major courses. Danielle was sweet and intelligent. At the time, she had been dating a guy named Ryder but thankfully, they had broken up and Danielle had moved on with her attractive Brit Lit professor who also happened to be a vampire.

Her father was the creator of the serum and also a missing person since September. At first, Aubrey thought he was with the Lone Wolf but that wasn't logical, considering he killed on sight. He didn't kidnap and then kill or kidnap and release. The Lone Wolf was known for shooting, asking questions after the fact——if at all. Then, Aubrey thought Noah Wright had him. But that also didn't make sense since Noah absolutely loved his new life. Why kidnap the man responsible for it?

Luke Foyer, an NDS agent and Aubrey's ex-boyfriend, managed to find a lead a month ago but Aubrey hadn't heard from him since and she didn't want to reach out lest the NDS find out he was back in contact with his ex-girlfriend who also happened to be a journalist. She didn't want to put Luke at risk, or Graham Darrow for that matter.

At that moment, the door to the journalism room crept open and Aubrey's slate-colored eyes shifted to the person entering. It was well past midnight and she had been staring at her computer screen, going over her article with a fine-tooth comb. When she realized who it was, she straightened, her entire body tense, her heart pounding in her ears.

What the hell was the Lone Wolf doing here?

His eyes——dark brown, nearly black, though she couldn't tell for sure with the dim lighting——immediately found hers. She was frozen in place, unable to move. Unable to even breathe.

Why was he here? She had nothing to do with his transformation. This paper didn't publish much on him.

But she did.

She was always writing about what was going on and he had been one of the hot topics for the past few months. He hadn't been talked about lately but she had found new information and was going to publish it. Not information on his whereabouts or information on his motive for killing but who he was as a person. Before this. She even tried to reach out to his ex-wife, who basically told her to fuck off before hanging up. She hadn't released any of that yet and she was already criticized for making the Lone Wolf sympathetic.

That wasn't Aubrey's intent. She was simply stating facts. He might be a beast but he was still a man.

He stared at her with intense brown eyes, shadows hiding any softness that might occupy his facial features. He was probably six foot tall, maybe an inch or two more, dressed in a long black trench coat, black jeans, and a black shirt. On his feet were big black combat boots. Everything about him was black. His eyes. His hair which was shaved, military-style. His face had edges, sharp cheekbones, and a strong jaw. Aubrey felt her breath leave her as she continued to stare at him. She was scared, she wouldn't lie. But there was no weapon in his hand, no tommy gun——his weapon of choice. Like he was some gangster from the nineteen thirties. A vigilante ridding the world of bad guys.

She couldn’t deny that there was something about him that she was drawn to. Perhaps it was her innate curiosity. Perhaps it was the fact that she had always been drawn to broken people. Either way, she was compelled, intrigued even. Maybe even a little attracted to him.

What scared her most was the immediate sense of trust she felt for this man. She trusted him not to hurt her.

You Aubrey Greene? he asked.

His voice was low and raspy, like shards of glass. It seemed loud, probably because the room was so silent. She didn't know this room could get this silent. Then again, she didn't know that someone like the Lone Wolf even knew this building existed. She felt a charge in the air. Static cackled between them as they stared at each other. She could tell from the way he looked at her that he was studying her, trying to discern if she was a threat or not. Aubrey didn't know if that stemmed from his military training or his new instincts.

Aubrey swallowed but it did nothing for her throat. She nodded once, clenching her jaw, trying to calm herself down. She didn't want to show that she was afraid of him. Which didn't make any sense because she shouldn't care what he thought about her. And honestly, anyone in their right mind would be scared of him. But she wasn't. Why wasn't she afraid of him? 

You're writing an article about me, he stated. He didn't ask. It was as though he knew. How could he possibly know?

I've written several about you, she told him. She didn't know why she told him that. It shouldn't matter. It didn't. But she wanted him to know. 

You can't publish it.

Before Aubrey could control herself, she furrowed her brow and shot him a look.

He raised his brows in surprise but the corners of his lips twitched up in a flash before disappearing to the point where Aubrey thought she had imagined it. But she couldn't have imagined it because she felt her heart skip a beat in response to it. He looked tragically beautiful when he smiled and she was absolutely certain he didn't do that often, if at all. Her stomach clenched at the thought and she pushed it aside. The last thing she wanted was to feel sorry for a mass murderer. She was certain he didn't want her sympathy, either.

Why not? she forced herself to ask. Her voice cracked and she felt like a fool, like some teenage girl talking to her idol with the inability to speak. Except he wasn't her idol. 

You can't tell people that stuff about me, he said. There was more strength to his voice, making it come out gravelly.

It's the truth, Aubrey pointed out. The people deserve to know the truth.

He pressed his lips together. Not this, he said, his eyes cutting over to her.

You aren't a monster. The words were out of Aubrey's mouth before she could stop them. His eyes widened in surprise but even with the intensity of his stare bearing down on her, she would not back down.

He snorted. You going to throw yourself at me like the other girls? he asked, shaking his head. A flash of disappointment tainted his eyes and she realized she didn't like the way he was looking at her. She didn't even like the way he had to ask her that. Not that he knew her at all. He wouldn't know.

No, she told him. Just because I understand you doesn't mean I want you sexually or anything like that. But I understand you.

You do? He didn't believe her. She didn't care. She didn't feel the need to defend herself.

Look, I don't know anything, she said. I'm not saying I'm the only person who understands you. But I do know your why. I do know why you do what you do. And I thought that the public should understand that as well.

He snorted again. You think I care what the public thinks? he asked, scoffing.

I know you don't, she said. "Clearly, you don't. Everyone is afraid of you. But I'm guessing that doesn't matter