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Prologue

The crisp winter air sed wolves gathered around his older brother, Pavel His brother, in human form, arrived in the Siberian forest a week earlier than intended to initiate the change He gave them the sad news of their pack’s massacre, the day after Glasnost It hadn’t mattered some were in wolf form and others in human form Pavel explained the directive called for the ardless of form

The pack snarled and derowled “Why kill us?”

“There’s no time to mourn Follow me” Pavel shifted to wolf form and led the pack deeper into the forest

Nik cocked his head Soldiers and tracking dogs hunted the wolves

A helicopter rose froe of the forest and flew above them, lethal wolfsbane-laced silver bullets rained down on the pack The yelps of his brethren as they died tormented Nik as he hid behind a fallen tree He trerowl Kill them all

Pavel snarled “This way!”

He followed Pavel up a steep mountain He shoved Nik into a den and then shifted to human form “Hide I’ll lead them away”

Nik yowled, “No You will be shot”

“Forgive s and bit Nik’s shoulder

Nik yelped “Too soon” Pavel’s bite would initiate the change Rebirth into a human with the ability to shift into a olf Yet, the bite should have taken place in five days Not now

“Wait for e”

“And if you don’t?”

“There is a cabin three ht find clothes there”

The soldiers drew closer and his brother shifted to wolf form Nik shook his head “I can help you kill them!”

Pavel snapped, “Survive or I will corave and rip off your ear” He leapt out of the den and drew them away

Nik huddled in silence Even if he disobeyed his brother, the change would happen and leave him incapacitated

Once the transfore would be so painful Nik ht die, alone No pack to nurse him back to health and help him transition into his new human form

The distant yelps of the hunting dogs otten away? His ears pricked up at a barrage of rifle fire Then silence The men had left He remained hidden The only sound came from the cold howl of the winter Siberian winds

The next , Nik crawled out of the den Thankfully, he hadn’t started to change Perhaps, it was too early or his brother had not bit hih Yet his wound continued to bleed He followed his brother’s scent Blood with the tinge of silver’s lethal scent stained the snow The men had killed and taken Pavel Nik ran down to where the rest of the pack had beensnow had covered their tracks and blood

Nik mourned their deaths with a lonely howl

Hungry but with no desire to hunt, Nik plodded through the heavy snoard the cabin his brother had e Not that bla them back, but it would satisfy his lust to kill He stopped in his tracks Huh?

Nik scanned the area and flared his nostrils Debris from the helicopter littered the forest as if it had rained scrap metal The burned-to-ashes reruesome scene He sht down the helicopter Who would have such weaponry? Did their kind have allies? He stared at the cabin

The burning fireplace meant someone was there As he drew closer, a wave of pain overtook hie He ot weaker

The door opened and a man covered in fur stood at the entrance, rifle in hand

A fur trapper Unless, the man had a olf rifle, Nik would not die Despite his pain, Nik charged The snap of a bear trap on his left leg stopped hie overwhelmed him into dark unconsciousness