The Wild Within: Beware Wolves

By Shontavianna Campbell

 

WOLVES MUST PROTECT THE ONES THEY LOVE, EVEN FROM EACH OTHER.

Before Melanie could grasp the life she'd inherited, her parents were forced to break away from the world they once knew and build a new one for their newborn daughter. By the time she was old enough to understand what drove her family out of their Antarctic homeland, her only desire had become finding a way to tame the beast within. But taming the beast requires a cure, and the clock is ticking as Melanie tries to find it. A spark between hearts.

The time approaches for the Nieve pack to select its new leader, and Brian is the next Alpha in line to step up and take the helm. A familial arrangement renders him tied to an Omega within his pack, but a fateful encounter with Melanie leaves Brian's heart flaming in another direction. As emotions spark, discoveries arise, and Brian soon learns that there are some secrets even a Nieve Alpha may not be ready to handle. In a fight for survival, An age-old treaty forbids mating and marriage between different bloodlines.

But all that changed when Melanie's parents went against tradition. The search is on for the second chief leader of the Pathogens, and the Athenian pack also seeks their inheritress. While the packs hunt for their rightful successors, for Melanie, the hunt is on for her parents. Will they manage to keep outrunning their past, or will the wolves finally catch up to them all?

The future is delicate when the past comes hunting in this paranormal fantasy adventure. Beware Wolves is a thrilling werewolf romance that'll take you on a nail-biting journey into the supernatural

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Shontavianna Campbell
• Release date: Sep 8, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223199090

Book preview

The Wild Within

Beware Wolves

Shontavianna Campbell

Copyright © 2021 by Shontavianna Campbell

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.             

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Shontavianna Campbell, the author of Beware Wolves, treasures an eternal love for all things fantasy. A bank teller by day and a word-weaver whenever she's not at work, she enjoys building new fantasy worlds and crafting spunky supernatural.

After graduating from Robert E Lee High School, Shontavianna went on to pursue an Associate Degree in Business Administration at Tyler Junior College. Later, she withdrew from the program to follow her writing dreams. 

Shontavianna has been an avid writer since the sixth grade. With the unfortunate passing of her best friend, Sara, Shontavianna nurtured a life of reading, writing, and pure creativity to honor Sara's undying spirit and influence.

She currently resides in Tyler, Texas, where she spends her summers brainstorming new fantasy adventures. She is a prayerful woman of faith who loves spending quality time with her family.

​

INTRODUCTION

When Melanie's parents fled Antarctica, the only thing they wanted was a fresh start for their newborn daughter. An age-old treaty forbids mating between bloodlines, but Melanie's parents broke the rules when they fell in love. Now, the hunt is on for Melanie's parents as the Pathogens seek their second chief leader, and the Athenian pack seeks their inheritress. Can they outrun their past?

Understanding the turmoil that forced her parents to flee, Melanie must race against the clock as she tries to find a cure to tame the beast within.

*****

The time draws near for Brian to take his place as the next Alpha of the Nieve pack, and a fateful encounter with Melanie leaves him questioning his beliefs. But the more he delves into Melanie's past, the more he realizes who she is, and the weight of obeying tradition grows heavier than before.

CONTENTS

About The Author

Introduction

Contents

Chapter 1:Witch Way

Chapter 2:Dreaming

Chapter 3:Howlers University

Chapter 4:Munchies

Chapter 5:Training

Chapter 6:China Delay

Chapter 7:Club Hollows

Chapter 8:Suppositions

Chapter 9:Running Wild

Chapter 10:Curiosity

Chapter 11:Bitter Coffee

Chapter 12:Reverse Curse

Chapter 13:G.I.T (Geeks N’ Tech)

Chapter 14:Party Animals

CHAPTER 1:

WITCH WAY

T

ops of snowy hills when we began our journey to the  sun was only just making an appearance amid the witch’s territory. We trudged through the snow, which tickled our knees as snowflakes settled in our hair; they were falling thick and fast. I led my wife and our newborn child as we fought our way through the storm beating against our faces and bodies. Still, we kept moving, crunching fresh snow beneath our feet. We didn’t want to rest because we wanted to stay far ahead of them; we have to be safe before stopping. We walked past dozens of trees and frozen streams and rivers. In the distance, there were shining lights; we knew we were close. Venturing on, weathering the storm, we soon see the lights came from the entrance of an igloo, which was unaffected by the ferocious storm. As we drew nearer, the igloo looked like a normal-sized house. Normal wasn’t the best word for it, as I spotted animal bones hanging from the old front door.

I knocked, stepped back, and heard nothing, so I knocked again. After, there was this brief flurry of movement. Not long after the second knock, the door opened to reveal an old lady.

I looked at her for a moment and spotted her earrings were made out of bones. Knowing what we had come here for, she looked at us, but she still asked a question anyway.

Yes, what can I do for you. She said while staring at us.

Are you Acanthra? Betreus, my wife, asked.

It depends, who’s asking?

Look here, woman, we don’t have all damn day. We came all this way to seek out Acanthra; if you’re not her, then we’ll be on our way, I shouted. We were running out of time.

Sorry, Miss, forgive my husband. Betreus apologized.

Yes, he’s a pathogen, alright. She looked straight at him as if she was examining him.

Are you Acanthra? I asked in a low voice, changing my tone a little.

Yes, that’s me, Acanthra spoke.

Then you know what we came here for.

Sorry again, Acanthra, we wanted to give our child up as a living sacrifice, Betreus said.

Can this be done? I asked her.

We were told that you are the last of the ancients and that you were the only one who could perform magic, Betreus said.

Yes, but I never tried magic on our kind, just on animals. Acanthra sighed.

My question is, can it be done? I asked again, urgently this time.

Yes, there is a possibility, but what we will be performing could be a costly risk. She told them.

Ok, what will we need to do? Betreus asked. I was busy assessing the risks involved with it all.

Come in and I will explain it. She moved to let us in through the doorway.

Her home was a clash of two concepts; on one hand, it had a very distinct medieval design, but it was also modern at the same time. I could sense the magical enchantments cast on this place, as well as notice that the igloo is sufficiently warm, yet the ice wasn’t melting. Delving deeper inside the igloo, I found it was more like a house than an igloo and it was rather roomy than it first appeared to be on the outside. All the furnishings matched and were soft, giving the place a cozy atmosphere. Settling ourselves on the couch, I checked on our newborn, who was still fast asleep. Acanthra headed into the kitchen and we sat, waiting as patiently as we could, for her explanation. Moments later, she returned with three mugs and a pot of coffee.

Coffee? She asked.

Yes, thank you, Betreus said ever so sweetly.

No, thank you. I refused as politely as possible. After all, we were running out of time so I needed to keep her sweet so we know what we were getting into. 

Your daughter will be the first person to be magically tested on. She said, eventually. She was trying to see if we were sure about our decision.

So, what are the risks with this? I asked.

If I were to try to remove the beast from her body, I would have to open a portal to put it in.

How is removing this thing into a different portal a risk? My nostrils flared as I failed to keep my temper in check.

Because I don’t know what’s waiting for her on the other side. She paused, before adding: If something goes in, something must come out.

What would come out? Betreus’s voice trembled.

I’m unsure exactly; as I said, I’ve only tested on animals, and they’ve all seemed fine. She spoke.

Adrian, I don’t think this is a good idea, Betreus was close to tears now.

I know, but we have to give it a try. Trust me, baby, I put my arm around her and squeezed gently. We’ve been together through thick and thin, and we’d get through this too. I turned to Acanthra. This is our baby we are talking about, not some animal.

I can’t make any promises, but I will do everything I can to protect your baby, Acanthra assured us both.

Focusing on my sleeping baby girl, I whispered. Her name is Melania. A rush of emotion almost overwhelmed me as I looked at the tiny baby, who was sleeping peacefully still. Thank you, Betreus whispered, her voice full of emotion and eyes brimming with tears. She clutched Acanthra’s hand for a moment in gratitude.

Let’s get started, shall we? Acanthra rose from her armchair and gestured for us to follow her into another.

You get started, I’m going to go see how much time we have left, I reassured my beautiful wife. I gave her and Melania a kiss before heading outside. Once out in the blistering cold again, I examined the air for any nearby scents and smells or far away sounds. If they were nearby, I would be able to at least smell or hear them, but there were no traces. Satisfied with that, I stared out into the open to check for any camouflaging humans in the area, but there was no one there. Now completely content that we were safe, I headed back to the women. My first impression of this new room was that it looked like a witch’s lair. A round stone table cemented to the floor in the middle of the room; there was also another chimney made out of old stone with a beat-up, dark stained pot beside it. Animal bones decorated every wall and even hung from the ceiling. A red hue fell on the room as large red candles roared to life. Thick wax tears ran down the candles as if they’d been lit for a while A shelf was glued onto the other wall, where jars of thick, dark animal blood sat, probably for decades. I continued looking around, and my eyes fell on an old broom, all wild-haired and dried up.

Ahh, yes, I’ve had her for a very long time, Acanthra commented, as she saw me eyeballing the broom. She smiled.

She’s just as dried-up as I am.

Has it been long? I asked her.

Yes, over a thousand years.

And your love, if you don’t mind me asking? Betreus asked.

We were all young like you, but he passed on into the other world. She said, smiling at memories of him and her. As she finished marking the stone table with an ancient language, she drew a divination symbol on Melania’s forehead with animal blood.

This will separate the wolf from her body. Her expression was one of confidence as her words echoed. Put her on the table, she continued, as she moved to the other side of the table.

Betreus laid Melania on the table gently, moved back. I shuffled back too, to allow Acanthra to perform the ritual. This was all for Melania, so she could live the life she deserved. We did nothing but watch as Acanthra waved her hands in a circular motion over Melania, chanting unfamiliar ancient words. Her voice grew louder yet nothing seemed to be happening. There were no magical auras, no shaking or rumbling: nothing. It felt like an eternity as she changed over and over until her hands shook about Melania. That’s when objects in the room began shaking. Glass jars clanked together, some smashed on the ground. A gust of wind extinguished all the candles, which left us the fire in the chimney. Still, unmoving, Acanthra chanted, louder now. Her hands were directly above Melania now.

Portal kwa portal na kutolewa kwa mwili kwa mwili katika eneo lingine mara moja. She chanted over and over. Portal to portal and body to body, release into another realm immediately.

Immediately a black cloud appeared above Melania. It cast most of the room into darkness, though I saw purple lights in the black cloud, which must be the portal. Whenever Acanthra chanted, the wind around the portal increased, causing everything to fall on the floor.

My ears pricked up from sounds I could suddenly detect; I wrinkled my nose and yes, that was their scent. They were a mile away and heading here fast. 

Hurry up, Acanthra, we don’t have much time, I demanded.

Ondoka mara Moja na mile, she uttered, and fell silent for a moment, before finishing with, Be gone immediately and forever.

When she fell silent, the portal immediately closed up. Melania stirred from her long nap but didn’t make a sound. I stared at her for a few moments as she laid there on the table before I roused myself. We had to move, or they will be upon us soon. We need to get her somewhere safe.

Acanthra, we have to get moving. They’re on their way, I told her.

Yes, let me show you the back door, she said slowly, her eyes locked onto Melania’s purple eyes. Before long, the purple faded and Acanthra led us to the back door; I was the first to make sure that it was safe to exit outside. We stepped out to get out of Antarctica for once and for all.

Thank you, Acanthra, Betreus said, smiling at her as she exited out into the cold and misty air.

She’s one of a kind, Acanthra spoke as she looked at Melania for the last time.

Acanthra closed the back door behind them, before sinking into a dining chair, replaying the last few moments. She pondered on Melania’s eye color, concerned. She had no idea why her eyes had changed. But as she had said, when something goes in, something comes out. Not being able to take her mind off it, she flicked through her book, ‘Spellum,’ and was relieved to discover she had used the right