Undead Uprising Chapter 9
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This week’s Wicked Wednesday brings you another installment of my urban fantasy involving a twist to the werewolf mythology, battles with vampires and a struggle for control in a werewolf pack. The tentative title is UNDEAD UPRISING and I hope you like this next free chapter that I’m offering you.
While Ramon is dealing with Catalina’s transformation and his tortured feelings for her, Catalina’s father is dealing with his own guilt and loss.
For those of you who may have missed the first eight chapters, you can read them here:
In the early dawn hours after the night’s hunt was over, Rafael de Villalobos normally returned to his room for a few hours of rest. When he had been married to Marina, she would be at his side and the two of them would fall into bed together, as playful as young puppies before passion overtook them. Rest generally had waited awhile during those glorious days.
Marina, Rafael thought and rubbed at a spot over his heart that still ached with her absence.
Thoughts of his first wife drove him to the floor she shared with Catalina instead of his own bedroom. Quietly, holding his sword tight to his side to avoid any sound that might rouse them, he paused at Marina’s door and listened. No noise came from within and a niggling sense of concern drove him to open the door and peer inside.
Her chambers were as spotless as always, with not an item out of place. Marina had always been the Felix to his Oscar, he thought with a smile. The room was empty, however, and her bed looked as if it hadn’t been slept in.
Had she gone out this night? he wondered and experienced a pang of jealousy that in the moments after the hunt, she might be sharing another wolf’s bed.
Marina had always been an adept warrior, but he couldn’t remember the last time she had joined them during their pursuit of the vampires. Plus, no one had mentioned that she had paired off with anyone to track the demons or do anything else for that matter.
Which meant she might have gone out alone.
With that thought, his earlier concern blossomed into full blown fear. Only the strongest wolves in the pack hunted alone. Only a few could.
He exited back into the hallway and strode quickly down the hall to the door of Catalina’s gym. Once again he listened and from within came the rustle of sheets and a soft moan of pain.
Grabbing the doorknob, he was about to enter when from behind him Marina said, “She’s not alone and she’s fine.”
He whirled, surprised that she had managed to sneak up on him. But then again, he had let his fear blind him to anything but finding her. “Marina.”
His former wife, mother of his most beloved daughter, bowed her head low and adopted the subservient position expected when the leader of the pack spoke to one such as her. “Rafael.”
A mix of pain and passion washed over him at the sound of his name coming from her lips. “Look at me, Marina. For God’s sake, stand up straight and look me in the eye.”
She rose to her full height and met him head on, her gaze trained on his face. Despite the fact that she did as he commanded, a defiant spirit glittered in her eyes. “Is this what you want, Rafael? Does this make you feel better?”
Marina needed no answer to her query. Nothing could ever make him feel better about what he had done to her, no matter how many times he told himself he did it for the good of the pack. “Where were you this night?” he asked, almost fearful of her answer.
The needy note in his voice told Marina she could hurt him now, as much as he had hurt her. But she couldn’t find it in herself to lie and say she had been with another wolf. “I was with Hembra. It was time for her first change.”
Rafael glanced down the hall to the room of his youngest daughter. “Is she . . . Did she handle it well?”
“Better than most. She’s a strong girl. Smart. And she adores Catalina,” Marina said and laid a hand on his arm to emphasize her point.
A mistake. Beneath her fingers, his hard muscles jumped. His skin was warm. The soft hairs on his arm tickled. How she remembered what all of that felt like against her own skin, just as he remembered, she realized as she met his gaze again. It was hot with yearning.
“Marina,” he said and lowered his head toward her, but she ripped her hand from his arm and took a step back.
“I need to check on Hembra.” She hurried away before she would make a mistake as big as the one she had made the first time she had trusted her heart to him.
Rafael wanted to chase after her. Command her to come with him. Satisfy him. He could after all. He was the leader of the pack and she was just . . .
Marina.
Turning on his heel, he raced from their floor up to his own. At the door to his bedroom, his human manservant waited to help him take off his armor and stow his weapons. The man couldn’t do it quickly enough and Rafael growled a warning for him to leave. Alone within his room, he finished pulling off his protective clothing and tossed it to the floor. His sword soon landed atop the armor with an angry clatter.
The sound of running water snared his attention.
He walked to his bathroom where a warm bath awaited him. It might be just the thing to loosen his sore and tired muscles. To loosen any thoughts of Marina from his mind and wash them away along with the filth from his night of battle.
He eased within the sandalwood-scented waters and stretched out his big body in the oversized tub. Heat enveloped him as he moved lower until the waters spilled over his shoulders. He closed his eyes then, intending to rest for just a bit, but instead, visions of Marina came to him.
He gave up any hope of peace.
I have enjoyed these free chapters so much. Did I miss when it will be available? Cause I want to read the whole thing from chapter 1 to The End. It is a great story. Have a great day and hugs to all.
Hi Fannie! I’m so glad that you are enjoying this.
Actually, I haven’t sold this one, but wanted to offer it to you all to read since I love the story so much!