Page 88 of Rogue Wolf

“Tell me,” Onai said, tight-lipped. “What’s this latest problem?”

“The vampires want Tamaska’s blood because she’s a Brown. You know, the ones who brought the gem to Australia?”

For a moment, Onai didn’t speak, then he whipped his head to face Tamaska, then to Ash. “What? You found all this out…when?”

“Well, Tamaska found some of it,” said Ash. “But I’ve done extra digging since then.”

“And you found what, exactly?” he said. Fill me in, and don’t hold anything back.”

“As we suspected, the Blood Opal has powers. Under the right circumstances, like a full moon, the gem will enhance the properties of whatever blood it touches,” said Ash. “When it comes into contact with human blood, it grants humanlike properties, such as the ability to tolerate sunlight. The vampires most likely got that added bonus after consuming human blood that had touched the Blood Opal.”

“So, why Tamaska’s blood?” Onai rubbed his hand over his forehead and closed his eyes. “What could they possibly do with her?”

Ash looked at her and then Onai. “Create a wolf shifter.”

A murmur ran through the assembled shifters.

“But vampires surely don’t want to become wolf shifters,” Onai said. “Why are they doing this shit?”

“No, they don’t, which is why they have to do things a little differently. That’s why they took Kodiak.” Again, Ash looked at her. “They won’t consume Tamaska’s blood; they’ll filter it back into her body, forcing her take on the change. Her dormant shifter genes will wake up.”

“Which means she’ll become a wolf shifter? That would be helpful for us, wouldn’t it?” Channing asked.

Ash shook her head. “No, because she’s going to be an out-of-control wolf shifter.”

“Oh…” Channing looked down.

Onai glanced at her. “Fuck.”

Tamaska didn’t fully understand the flash of concern in Onai’s eyes as he glanced at her.

“Are you sure?” asked Onai.

“Sure enough.” Ash nodded. “My conclusion is based on the properties of blood and opals, as well as everything they represent. I found instructions for old rituals on the database, the same rituals they used on shifter-human hybrids. When a daughter of the Browns refused to continue our pure bloodline and married a human, their children were fine. They were both wolf and human. But with the next generation, it was harder. They had to use the Blood Opal to activate their children’s wolf shifter genes, if the children wanted to become shifters. So, the point is, if her blood comes in contact with the gem, it won’t be good.”

“What, it would activate her wolf genes just like that?” Channing looked at her like she was part interesting bug. That sounds crazy, you know.”

“I believe it will happen. It makes sense.” Ash stared him down then looked at Tamaska and then Onai. “Her family brought the Blood Opal to Australia to prevent it falling into the wrong hands. I’ve gathered they had to keep it hidden, and they accomplished that by selling it.”

That was a stupid decision. Tamaska didn’t agree with what her grandparents had done.

“So, you’re saying that if she was turned using the Blood Opal, her shifts wouldn’t be regulated by the moon’s phases like ours? And then her animal instincts would take control of her, dominating her human mind,” Onai asked.

Ash nodded. “Which means she’d be out of control.”

“Why would that be so bad? I could kill some vampires for you,” Tamaska said, hoping…she didn’t know what she was hoping. That they’d just shove her out the door to bring back Kodiak?

“It’s not that straightforward. You could kill us, or a human, and then we would be forced to kill you,” said Ash.

“I’d never do that.”

Ash took her arm. “Not on purpose, but the point is you don’t know, wXe don’t know! And we have to be sure.”

She took a shaking breath. “So, change me, then. I’ll be a wolf shifter, but I’ll stay in human form, right? I’ll be weak and without powers. But that will mean the vampires can’t touch me. It’s the safest way. I’ll go and make the exchange.” She licked her lips. “It’s the only way. If I don’t go, they’ll kill Kodiak.

Onai folded his arms. “What do you think the vampires will do if they smell wolf on you?”

“We’ll mask the scent, like Channing said,” Tamaska said. “I get it’s risky doing it now, but surely not as risky as me going in human and the vampires using the opal. Or them killing Kodiak.”

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