Free Walking Wolf Road (Wolf Road Chronicles Book 1) by Brandon M. Herbert Page A

melee of biting, snapping, and clawing as I fought to regain control, until something broke.
    My rage spilled into the wolf, and it ignited into a bloodlust frenzy that surged off me in a billowing cloud of power.  It blinded me to pain and poured steel strength into my muscles, as the snow around us evaporated into steam.
    Somehow, Fen managed to roll on top of me and tried to pin me again, all amusement gone from his face. He looked afraid.  I defied his dominance and opened his cheek when I lashed out with my teeth. 
    The taste of blood sparked on my tongue, and the beast I’d become fought even harder.  Darkness descended over me, and I knew only brief flashes of image and sensation, all connection to my body lost.
    Fen…
    Images of red gore, streaming blood…
    No…
    “No! Jimmy! Jimmy, wake up!”
    Cold lifeless grey eyes, a mist of red… NO!
    “Jimmy! Calm down; it’s over! It’s over now—LOOK AT ME!”
    Something shook me, and my unseeing eyes locked onto Fen’s face. He straddled me and pinned my arms to my sides while his eyes bored into mine with sadness and—fear?   
    Something hot and wet dripped onto my face, and my gaze drifted from his worried eyes to the angry red slash on his face that bled down his jaw and dripped onto my face, the dark scent of copper lush in the air.  I stared at the wound as madness gnawed at me.
    I made that… I made that out of a hate he didn’t deserve; what have I done?
    That wasn’t the wolf; it was… it was me!   
    The images and desires that had only moments ago consumed me flashed through my mind again and the world swam.  I twisted out of Fen’s grasp and rolled over as I dry-heaved a few times on the snowy grass. I heard the others run toward us as Fen spoke softly.
    “You’ve bottled so much rage inside you…  When the wolf moves from the deep, sometimes the doors to other things are opened as well. Monsters we couldn’t destroy, so we captured and buried them in the darkness.”
    “It wasn’t the wolf. It was me…” my voice was thick and raw, “It was all me… I’m so sorry Fen…  So sorry…”
    You don’t belong here.
    I crawled over to one of the huge pine trees and curled up under the sheltering boughs while I cried and choked on shame in the spiny bed of fallen needles and cones. The others caught up with Fen, and their blurry shapes moved in the veil of snow until my eyes closed
    I felt so weary, tired and weary of trying to force myself to live a life I could find no worth in.  
    Your father didn’t want you, why should anyone else?
    I drew back from the world, until I heard snow crunch underfoot and familiar scents filled the space under the tree.
    “Are you done sulking?” Loki’s voice was soft, but there was an edge to it. I opened my eyes, and their blurry shapes came into focus silhouetted against the moonlit gray of the sky. “Get out of there, the night’s still young, and I’m in no mood for a pity party.”  
    Fen and Geri grabbed me and pulled me up partway onto my feet as they dragged me out; but when they touched me, their energy poured into me and stirred the wolf. I held onto Geri’s arm and gasped as a sharp pain blossomed in my leg. My back spasmed and arched as my knees gave out and I fell to the ground while my mouth gaped in a soundless scream.
    My nerves caught fire and my body twisted and turned, like it was trying to split its seams and remake itself.  The wolf inside me fought for freedom, but his frustration turned to anger as he hit an invisible wall.
    Cool soft hands touched my feverish forehead and anchored me, and I looked up into Loki’s eyes.  “Shh, it’ll fade in a moment; you just have too much shifting energy right now, we’ll help you.” She closed her eyes and breathed out; as she did a calm current settled beneath the chaos and pushed it out. Fen and Geri touched Loki’s arms and the air around us vibrated.
    Loki pulled her hands away and shook them like they were