Page 2 of A Cursed Noel

I reduce my speed, notrealizing I’d picked up my pace as I neared the crowd. He motionsin the direction of his dark blue Lexus SUV.

“Fine,” I mutter,shifting direction.

I throw open the doorand slip inside. Some of the drying blood flakes onto his pristinewhite leather seats. I kill the smirk that starts to form. Martinnotices anyway.

He raises his brows. Ishrug. He’s the one who wanted to talk.

With a gentle hum, theengine comes to life and Martin rolls toward the exit. “I want youto stop hunting,” he says.

I huff. He’s nottalking about elk.

The frown I’msporting deepens when we reach the gate and I catch sight of Mimi,Liam’s batshit-crazy aunt. The behemoth weregrizzlies on guard dutygive her ample space. Smartweres. Mimi is old, mean, andnuttier than a van full of killer clowns. The lastwerewhooffended her sprouted fangs on his navel and watched in horror as itchewed off his toes.

She waves anage-spotted hand at me, her gray lips pulling back to show me theremainder of her crooked teeth. I don’t exactly smile back. Thatwould just invite more of the crazy and who the hell needs that?

My snub only delightsher. Several more wrinkles form around her beady black eyes, herenthusiasm inching the grizzlies further away from her.

What’s this crazyhag up to?

Her smile widens andshe cackles as if she can hear me. Maybe she can.Hagsskitterthat fine line between merrily insane andunleash-a-plague-upon-the-earth-because-I’m-a-bored-psychotic.Still, the magical punch they pack can wipe out a cyclone swimmingwith weresharks. It’s why my kind both respects and fears them.

Clumps of Mimi’scurly gray and white hair slap against her curved spine and tendrilsof smoke spill from the hem of her black dress as she levitatestoward a walkway. Mimi rarely leaves her cave in the mountains. Whenshe ventures down, it’s usually to cause trouble. I’m surprisedshe’s lasted this long without being burned at the stake. At thevery least, someone should have stoned her crazy ass.

“Aric, are youlistening?” Martin asks.

No. I’m watchingMimi.

Just like she’swatching me.

“Aric!”

Martin’s voice is theequivalent of a slap upside the head. He was always patient with me,but after putting up with my crap these last few years, that patienceis as dead as the lastwerewho crossed Mimi.

Instead of cowering,like any prey at Martin’s mercy would, I bare my teeth. I don’thide from a fight, ever. “What’s your problem?” I snarl. “Asawere, I have a sworn duty to guard the earth and theunsuspecting human populace from the shrouds of evil.”

Martin mutterssomething that sounds more wolf than human. He dismisses my insolenceand turns onto the highway. He thinks I won’t attack. He shouldthink again.

“I know what ourroles as Guardians of the Earth entail. I don’t need reminding,Aric.”

“Then why’d youask?” I grumble. “Every mission I’ve taken has wiped out theevil overtaking our planet and saved lives. I’m just doing my damnjob.”

“You’re reallypushing me with that mouth of yours,” Martin growls. He drags hishand down the smooth dark skin of his face, trying to reign in hiswolf.

Martin is known for hiscool head and reason. I have a funny way of kicking both attributesin the nuts. He needs to back off and understand I want to be leftalone. I think back to my mother.Well, maybe not all alone.

“Aric, you’re theonlywerein history to achieve hischangebefore sixmonths of age. You’re special….”

Oh, boy, here we go.

“You should be inschool, learning and developing your gifts as a future alpha….”

My attention drifts toa stand of oak trees lining the road. Mimi is sitting on one of thelower branches, her tiny feet swinging as she munches on what lookslike roasted squirrel on a stick. She grins at me through a ratherlarge bite.

Seriously, what isthis old hag up to?

“Aric, your pack andyour friends need you. While your advanced strength and agilitypermit you advantages older and more experiencedweresdon’tpossess, there’s a great deal more to learn. You should be trainingwith your kind, not flying halfway around the world on assignmentsthat should require more than onewereand a strategy thatrequires more than simply mauling your prey.”

“I work better alone,and mauling is strategy enough for me,” I counter.

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