Wolf Leader (Wolves of Wisconsin Book 5)

  Wolf Leader

  A

  Wolves of Wisconsin Book

  by Marie Fraser

  This publication is part of a series of products and publications. For more information, please visit: http://www.Operation40k.com/.

  To get more information on Operation $40K, please visit: http://www.Operation40k.com/.

  Copyright 2019 Marie Fraser

  All RIGHTS RESERVED. One or more global copyright treaties protect the information in this document. This Special Report is not intended to provide exact details or advice. This report is for informational purposes only. Author reserves the right to make any changes necessary to maintain the integrity of the information held within. This Special Report is not presented as legal or accounting advice. All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. No parts of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission of the copyright owner.

  NOTICE OF LIABILITY

  In no event, shall the author or the publisher be responsible or liable for any loss of profits or other commercial or personal damages, including but not limited to special incidental, consequential, or any other damages, in connection with or arising out of furnishing, performance or use of this book.

  All Characters, events and locations in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, dead or living, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

  Cover art: Sabrina Ihadadene

  Chapter I

  “Steve, what are you doing?!”

  Steve Turner was lounging in his arm chair, one hand engaged in absently spinning a basketball, while the other was propped against his temple, as his eyes scanned the enormous list of math questions. His head was bent low, a deep scowl glazing his mouth.

  “STEVE?!”

  Steve’s neck snapped up. Slowly turning his head, he met his mother’s furious face, a lazy grin playing around his lips,

  “Yes, Mother?”

  Mrs. Turner eyed the basketball viciously. Steve’s fingers ceased their dance, and the ball tumbled to the ground with a loud thud.

  “Will you stop staring at your text book, and start solving the questions for once?!”

  Steve closed his eyes, and shook his head, sighing.

  “Mother,” he said, a second’s breath later, “I see no reason for your anger. I am solving the questions. In here.” He pointed a finger to his head, and Mrs. Turner’s eyes narrowed to slits.

  “Steve Turner, you are grounded! For a week, you hear me?-”

  “Mother, I do not see why that’d be necess-”

  “Let your father come in the evening. I will NOT stand being humiliated by your teachers again!”

  Mrs. Tuner stormed out of the room, her silk robe swishing in her wake.

  Steve craned his head back against the front, and swore under his breath. He was tired. REALLY tired of the perpetual reprimands, and grounding threats…if only his parents knew what he actually was.

  Steve Turner was the wolf leader of the Sauk County. With completely human parents and siblings, Steve was a prodigy. He was fifteen years of age when he was visited by Noah Wesley, Prince of Vilas, and informed that he was a werewolf. Life had rolled in big and small havocs since then. Mainly because Steve was strictly instructed to zip his mouth, and never disclose to his family about his real identity, which made the task of slipping out at night all the more difficult. Every now and then, Steve had to craft a new excuse and the lying had made him awfully guilty at first. But the feeling had abated overtime. Four years had lived by, and only a month ago, he was declared leader.

  Orange-rued leaves flew past the window, and tickled against Steve’s neck. Steve shook his head, his eyes locking on Mark outside his room window. Mark was Steve’s best friend ever since they were born. He lived next doors, and Steve shared everything with him.

  The very sight of Mark made Steve involuntarily sit up. Sticking the basketball in his arm, and a jet-black blazer thrown over his shoulder, he shot out of his room. Mrs. Turner was doing the dishes in the kitchen. Looking out for his siblings, Steve tip-toed across the lounge and eventually stepped outside.

  “Hey! What’s up, pal?” Steve and Mark collided in a manly hug, their faces lighting up instantly.

  “I’m waiting up for my cousin, Agnus. She’s transferring to North Wisconsin for a year; her Dad has a posting. She’s pretty late though.” Mark glanced at his watch restlessly.

  Steve sighed. He stole a glance over Mark’s shoulder, at the basketball courtyard, and a pale frown crept up his mouth. Mark caught him glancing away, and instantly said,

  “Let’s catch a game, shall we?”

  “But your cousin-”

  “She’ll come when she has to. I’m done waiting.”

  Steve’s face filled with light. “Sounds great!”

  And both the boys shot ahead, lean legs running across the courtyard, the basketball caught in a rapid dance between. Whenever Mark and Steve went only against each other, the ball hardly made the basket. Because both of them were just so good. The moment one of them neared the hoop, the other one took only seconds to steal the ball. And so, the intense game continued for long hours, hitting an end only when their bodies failed to keep up with the perpetual running.

  However, this time, their game ended much sooner than the usual.

  Because the moment a car pulled over in front of Mark’s house, and a fair-skinned, tall girl slid out, Steve felt an electric current run down his spine. Mark shoved him aside, taking the ball away, but Steve didn’t care. Didn’t care that Mark was going to hit the basket. Didn’t care that he would lose the match. Didn’t care about anything.

  Except the fact that how gorgeous that girl was.

  Steve felt his eyes running the length of those slender legs, translucent skin shining under the orange sunlight, sliding up to the narrow shirt that hugged her torso tightly, and stopping at the explicit display of cleavage. Her neck meandered too low, and her boobs peeped out, smirking at Steve. Steve felt color rising in his cheeks. His breath was caught in his chest. He shut his eyes, and threw his friend a glance, but found him staring the same way.

  Agnus.

  Agnus put on her Ray-Bans, and strolled their way, her hands running through her coffee-brown hair. She caught Mark’s glance, and rushed closer, arms thrown around her cousin’s shoulder.

  “Mark! How are you? It’s been so long.” Steve caught Mark growing into the hug, his fingers pushing her closer, gripping her bare stomach, and Steve felt a stab in his chest. He instantly looked away.

  “Yeah, I’m good. How have you been?” Mark asked, as they finally drew apart.

  “Oh, so busy! My SATs are growing near, and although I’ve been studying the entire year, I’m starting to freak out a bit. God, I’m so worried.”

  “Come on,” Mark said, pressing her hand, and pulling her gaze back towards him, “you’ll be great, trust me. A straight As student like you, hell, you’ll be more than fine.”

  Color rushed into Agnus’s cheeks, and she smiled shyly. “Thanks, that is so sweet of you.”

  “Agnus, meet my best friend, the most coolest and handsome person in our campus, Steve Turner,” Mark patted Steve on the back.

  “Hey.” Agnus smiled.

  “Hey,” Steve said.

  “Do you-”

  Before Agnus could continue, Steve said, “Mark, I’ll catch you at school tomorrow then, okay?”

  “Yeah, okay.”

  Steve strolled away, his lips pursed, and mind far away.

  Chapter II

  Steve:

  College mornings were normally shit. However, lately Steve looked forwa
rd to them more than the weekend, primarily because those two days he had to spend in his girlfriend’s company, which weirdly had started to become a little annoying. Steve and Nancy were the most popular couple in mid-school, but then she moved to Vilas to complete high school. And so they were forced to meet only at the weekends.

  In eighteen years of his life, Nancy was the first and the only girl Steve ever decided to date. Before that, he strictly stayed aloof from the usual teenage trend of getting into relationships, the late night hunts keeping him busy for days and days. And more importantly because he feared that this act would crack one day. Slip through his weak grip, baring his real heinous identity to the whole world. Feared about the consequence of being disbanded from his usual society, and forced to live in Vilas, among his wolf brothers and sisters.

  Being a wolf was charming, and Steve loved every bit about it. That whizz of energy that sped through your blood, your furry body shimmering pearly under the moonlight, and that intense yearn to hunt – to chase down the enemy, and head out on secret wipe-outs, Steve wouldn’t even exchange that experience for the world.

  But despite the thrill, and adventure of it all, Steve couldn’t imagine leaving his family behind, and move out somewhere else altogether. Couldn’t imagine dissolving those eighteen years of memories, and starting anew with a different set of people.

  And so, he swore to himself to keep the secret of his identity deeply hidden from everyone. He stopped hanging out with friends too much, going to bars late at night (in case a sudden mission sprung up), and tried his best not to bring a girl home. He started maintaining a distance with everybody. Prevented them from getting to know much about him.

  And so, for months and months, things went smooth, until Nancy showed up. Nancy, who stole a way into his heart. And suddenly, everything fell to pieces.

  * * * * * * *

  Steve strolled into the cafeteria, eyes strained and mind throbbing with an acute lack of sleep. Last night’s hunt had exhausted his very bones. And so, dragging himself to college had involved real effort.

  Steve threw a glance towards his group’s permanent spot in the cafeteria, and caught Lucy and George displaying their usual PDAs. But today it was pretty intense. George’s arm was wrapped around Lucy’s waist while his other hand held her jaw, their mouths locked together, and a characteristic glow reflecting off their faces. Last night must’ve been interesting, Steve thought with a chuckle.

  He slumped into a seat across them, and cleared his throat a little too loudly. Lucy and George instantly broke apart, their dreamy gazes resting on him.

  “You look like a Goth, Stevie,” Lucy said at a breath’s period, her hazel eyes fixed at him in genuine concern. “’Did you even sleep last night?”

  Steve sighed, raking his hand through his hair. “Yes I believe, for an hour or so,” he said, a lazy grin playing around his lips.

  George shook his head disapprovingly. “What do you even do staying awake so long?”

  Steve shrugged. “The addiction with video games is intoxicating, my friend.”

  “Oh yes, video games and basketball, that pretty much sums up Steve Turner for you, people,” Lucy said, resting her hands atop the table, and looking around the cafeteria.

  “Talking of basketball,” Steve said, “I hope you guys know that I’ve my quarters today. I’d appreciate some support in the audience.”

  “You’ve got it mate!” George nudged him in the ribs and Steve grinned.

  “Oh, Mark’s here!” Lucy said. “And he’s got a girl.”

  Steve caught George looking over his shoulder, a state of awe occupying his face. “And isn’t she something,” he said, low enough that only Steve could hear.

  Steve slowly turned around, agony tying his stomach in knots, and caught Agnus looking their way, that carefree smile painted across her crimson lips. Steve’s heart sank. He didn’t want to think that way about her, not when he was already committed to Nancy. But there was something deeply entrancing about those honey-rued eyes. And Steve felt himself drown under the weight of her gaze. Steve caught himself staring, and quickly looked away, his ears burning hot.

  “Hey guys,” Mark said, sauntering close. Steve couldn’t help noticing Mark’s fingers laced around Agnus’s slender ones, and felt a sharp pang in his heart. No, they were just cousins, he told himself, mind buzzing with emotions. “Meet Agnus, my dear old cousin from Michigan.”

  Lucy and George introduced themselves, while I wished my misfortunate existence to just vaporize. In only a few seconds, I found those bewitching eyes stuck on my face.

  “Hi,” she said. There was a beautiful delicacy to her pale white skin. Thin lines formed on the edges of her eyes every time her lips curled in a smile. Steve felt his heart lurch.

  “Hi,” he said, forcing a smile across his face. It was taking an awful lot of strength for him to keep his face straight, and not let his emotions slip. Gosh, even a basketball final had never made him this nervous.

  “Mark told me you play basketball. If I get an off early, I’ll come see your match today!” She gave him a toothy grin and Steve couldn’t help but sarcastically smile.

  “Well, Mark is on the team too,” Steve said, a little too coldly, evidently indicating that she was actually coming to see her cousin’s match and not his. Public formalities; Steve hated nothing more.

  “Yeah, I know,” she said, a little taken aback.

  An awkward silence pressed, punctuated by the friendly banter between Mark, Lucy and George. None of them paid much attention to them, which was an incredible relief.

  Finally, Steve decided to get up. “Well I’ve a class, so I’d better get goin-”

  “Hey Steve,” Anika walked in from behind Steve, curling an arm round his neck. “How did your vacations go, darling?”

  Anika Walker was presently the hottest girl in school, running for Prom Queen, and every boy’s deepest desire. She was hot, sexy and had a killer body – but she was not Steve’s type.

  When she teased his neck coyly, a nasty smirk occupied Steve’s face as he was instantly reminded of the kiss they shared at the Ski Trip last year. Well, it was hard to forget something that intense. But Steve wasn’t ready at that time, and before he could restore things with Anika, Nancy had whisked into his life. And, everything had changed.

  But Steve’s evil side had a knack for some fun, so he was terribly enjoying the moment. He let her arm stay at the nape of his neck, and chuckled.

  “Why they went pretty fun, actually. I spent my days at the Grand Canyon, hiking the Bright Angel Trail. Ahhh, good times.”

  Anika tilted her head slightly, excitement possessing her sharp features.

  “Hiking? Some things never change, do they, Stevie?”

  “I’m afraid not.” Steve laughed. “I assume you were in New York with your Dad?”

  “Oh, yes.” Anika smiled. “And, by the way, good luck for your match, sweetie!” She stuck a finger at his nose, and Steve grinned.

  “Thank you.” And as Steve turned around to go the other way, he caught a shadow cross Agnus’s face.

  He stilled.

  Shit. Steve had totally forgotten about her presence. Could it really be envy on her face? Steve wanted to turn back in his tracks and explain everything to Agnus. He didn’t want her to have any wrong ideas. But before he could do so, she roamed away, shoulders hunched and chocolate-brown hair swishing in her wake.

  Chapter III

  Steve:

  White blinding light greeted Steve as he sauntered into the basketball court later than evening, the loud roar of the crowd sending an energetic thrill down his spine. This was it. This feeling of euphoria just never got old. It was a feeling akin to the one he breathed while going on his night hunts – doing something he loved with his heart and soul.

  In the front stands, Steve could make out his friends enjoying hot dogs and drinks. There was a time when they were a little more excited, and came with posters and banners, but they’d become too
used to this now. He neared them, and caught Lucy excitedly waving.

  Agnus was standing right behind her. She was clad in a lemon-rued summer frock, the usual warm smile painted across her lips. Steve was reminded of their awkward encounter earlier that day, and he waved her.

  She waved back. Steve felt his heart skip a beat.

  “So, what are tonight’s chances, Stevie” Lucy asked, dragging the tip of her hot dog through sludge of ketchup.

  “Oh, we have a fair chance. Hopefully, tonight’s gonna be an easy win.”

  “No way, man, I was looking for some fun,” George frowned.

  “Well, lucky for you, it’s basketball. So, you never just know what the other team has in store for us,” Steve said. George nodded

  Out of the corner of his eye, Steve caught Mark throwing the ball and he held out his hands just in time. Mark laughed.

  “Smooth as ever, Steve?”

  “Always.”

  Steve propped the ball in his arm as Mark walked over. Both friends gave each other a thump on the back.

  Mark strode to Agnus’s side, and Steve caught her pressing his hand lightly. He made out a faint ‘good luck’ wish by Agnus, saw Mark beaming, and color rushed into his cheeks. Dribbling the ball on the wooden floor, Steve sped away. Away, before he heard things he didn’t think he was ready to handle.

  As predicted, the opponent team was no match for them. Steve’s team completely thrashed them. There were only two minutes to the end of the game, when Mark made a brilliant pass to Steve. Dribbling the ball swiftly across the court, Steve shot towards the pole. A split second. And he made the basket. And the winning point was thus scored.

  A loud cheer erupted from the audience. Lucy and George were now standing, hooting at the top of their lungs. Steve gripped his knees, panting. His team mates gripped him behind, patting his shoulder and congratulating him.

  “Victory party tomorrow at my house, people!” Luke Miller said to the crowd, and the cheering intensified.