Wolf turned curse of the.., p.1
Wolf Turned (Curse of the Alpha Book 5), page 1
Wolf Turned
D.N. LEO
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
READER REWARDS
ALSO BY D.N. LEO
Afterword
Chapter
One
"Put away your fangs. That's not a good look for any of us. I know you can change form, so make up your mind and decide whether you want to fight me as a human, or get down on all fours and be a hound like nature intended."
Ivy cast a stern gaze upon the hound-man, who snarled in response. Her eyes roved across the eerie landscape of the underworld.
An extravagant dance of deep purples, blazing reds and hollow blackness swirled above her. The light was a teasing, ambient glow that threatened to play tricks with her eyes.
She tested the ground beneath her feet; an odd mixture of jagged rocks and ashen sand, just to make sure it was real.
This was the underworld. She had to be prepared for what it might bring.
“Listen, I don't want to hurt you. They said the first living thing I encounter must be offered up for sacrifice. It'd be easy to just kill that tree behind you and pretend it's a living being. So if you shoot now, I'll act like I didn't notice you."
The hound growled once more.
"That's the most you can say? I'm in love with a wolf shifter but I still don't understand wolves."
Had I really just used the L word to talk to a hell hound that I was about to kill?
She shook her head. She had willingly offered herself up to go to the underworld in order to save Killian and his people; she knew full well that she would never get a chance to see him again.
What was the point of this love declaration now?
She looked at the line of bubbling streams of liquid running across the hillside. This might be the underworld version of a river. It may have seemed innocent, but there was no way she was crossing it.
She pointed at the hellhound standing at the other side of the stream. "Call it your lucky day. I'm not going that way. So, you're not exactly the first living thing I encounter."
She turned and muttered to herself. "I'll just go kill a cactus or something."
As she turned to walk away, the shadows around her began to shift, taking on a sinister edge.
The hound-man dropped down to his all fours, turning into a proper hellhound. He snarled when he landed on the other side of the stream. The burning embers of his eyes bore into her as he hunched down.
"Looks like you didn't want to live any longer."
The hound snarled in response, its hackles raised and muscles rippling beneath its dark fur.
"Last chance to back off," she warned, attempting to offer the creature a way out, despite knowing it wouldn't take it.
The hound lunged at her. Ivy sidestepped just in time, feeling its hot breath as it passed by her.
A thrill coursed through her body along with a surge of adrenaline that made her feel stronger than anything she had ever felt before.
She was no longer Ivy from Melbourne, Australia; she was an animal, pure and lethal, with deadly claws and teeth to match.
Ivy squinted into the dazzling light of something that looked like a moon and dove into a roll along the rough, broken ground. As she emerged from the roll, she used three spinning back kicks to knock the hound away from her.
Her limbs felt lighter and her adrenaline pumped harder.
A power seethed within her, something black and forbidden that came directly from the underworld itself.
The hound charged her once more, but Ivy extended her palm and summoned her magic. A wave of invisible force slammed into the creature, sending it tumbling backward.
It quickly recovered, shaking its head and growling furiously.
"This is your last chance," Ivy said, her eyes narrowing as she prepared for the next assault.
The hound bared its teeth and leaped at Ivy again.
She met its attack with a swift, powerful kick that sent it reeling. Before it could regain its footing, she crushed it down with her knee, pulled out her dagger and pressed it against the wolf's heart.
"Say goodbye," she whispered.
"Don't kill it!" a female voice, thick with authority, called out from behind her.
Ivy turned her head and saw Selene.
The goddess radiated an aura of serenity and strength, her long, soft hair cascading down her back like a shimmering waterfall. She was dressed in a robe of silver, the diaphanous material draping around her slender frame like a silky cocoon.
Her gaze was fixed upon the wriggling wolf and the dagger pressing against its heart.
"It's helpless. You can let it go. Show some compassion, Ivy."
"Call me ignorant but I've never pecked you as the empathetic kind. Since when have you cared about the weak?"
“I don’t care about anyone but you,”
“Thanks Mom.”
“I'm your creator, not your mother.”
“That's called sarcasm. If you were human, you would understand.”
“If you kill the hound, you'll turn dark. There's no returning from that.”
Ivy snorted. “Selene, I'm already dark. If you don't want me to turn darker, why offered me the chance to be here?”
Selene's eyes narrowed at Ivy's words. “You may be in the underworld, but you don't have to be with the dark side.”
“If you don’t want me to kill, why ask for the offering? Going down here is dramatic enough; I could do without killing a dog in your backyard.”
“It’s not my dog. This isn’t my backyard. And I didn’t request an offering from you.”
“You didn't…?”
"I know what I requested of you. I have no reason to deceive you, Ivy."
Ivy hesitated for a moment, her grip on the dagger loosening.
The hound seized the opportunity, escaping from her grip. Instead of fleeing the scene, it lunged right back at her.
Selene stepped forward and raised her hand. A beam of light shot out from her palm, enveloping the creature and lifting it off the ground. It wriggled and yelped in pain, but Selene held it fast, her eyes closed in concentration.
"Let it go," Ivy said.
Ivy watched as Selene lowered her hand and the hound scampered away, tail between its legs.
Ivy had little experience in the underworld, but the principle was the same. Her opponents would never give up; they would keep coming back until only one remained standing. She was sure she would be the victor in the end, but today wasn't the day to kill.
Selene placed a hand on Ivy's shoulder, her touch gentle yet firm. "You have a choice, Ivy. You can choose to be the dark warrior that the underworld wants you to be, or you can choose to be something more."
Ivy shook her head. "I'm confused. You came to me with a solution to save Killian and his people at the Sanctuary. You showed me my connection to the demon royal. You gave me no choice but to go to the underworld. And now you expect me to take a side in the underworld? Do you understand how ridiculous it sounds?"
“I want you to be on my side, but not physically enter the underworld. You weren't the only one without a choice. If I hadn't given you an out, Killian and others would have been lost, and that would break your heart..."
Ivy scoffed. "Don't worry about my feelings. Apart from never being able to be with him again, everything else is fine! But I am grateful for what you did. I'm ready to fulfill my obligations. Even if it means delving into the dark side ... whatever that means."
Selene eyed Ivy with an intensity that felt almost palpable. “Ivy, the balance of the underworld is fragile. I brought you here for a reason.”
Ivy frowned, “You mean apart from offering up sacrifices?”
Selene ignored the jab. “I want you to become a Guardian of the Balance. With the chaos brewing, someone needs to keep the dark forces in check. You've demonstrated power and resilience."
"Sounds like a reasonable job," Ivy said dryly.
"It's an honor, Ivy."
"I'm sure it is ... I'll do my best."
Selene nodded. "I need you to swear a spiritual oath."
“Like in a forced marriage," Ivy quipped.
"It's how things work here. I'm sure in your human world, you have procedures..."
Ivy cut in."This isn't the human world, and I'm certainly not going to swear an oath to something I don't understand. I'll agree to do a job and keep my word, but only on that basis. No oaths."
Selene's voice commanded attention as she spoke, her tone formal and regal. "A Guardian of the Balance must handle difficult affairs with poise, for many will seek to sway the decision their way. It is only upon swearing in that you will receive the full power of this great position."
"I said no oaths."
Selene's expression tightened, her patience clearly waning. "You're standing on the precipice of a great divide. You either swear in, aligning with me, or you risk being consumed by the dark side. There’s no middle ground here."
“I won’t be manipulated into making a choice, not by you, not by anyone. If by the dark side you mean the demon king, I'll speak to him."
"This isn't your domain. He is not your equal. You may not simply address him as if he is. However, by taking on the role of Guardian of the Balance, you will be on a pa
r with him. In fact, he must abide by your decree."
"I don't want the power, but if you're telling me the truth, I can make a deal with the demon king. If he doesn't talk to me, I'll take the position and enforce my own rules. Then I’ll become a person he doesn't want to mess with."
Selene stepped closer, her voice barely above a whisper.
And if Ivy wasn't mistaken, the gracious goddess was grinding her teeth.
“You underestimate the forces at play, Ivy. Without the oath's protection, the darkness can claim you.”
Ivy met Selene's gaze, “I'll take my chances."
The air around Ivy seemed to thicken, pulsing with dread. Sinister shadows slithered and swirled up her body, like a thousand snakes coiling around her limbs, gripping her in its deathly embrace. She tried to cry out but the oppressive gloom swallowed up her pleas.
Her heart raced as she felt the pull of the abyss tugging at her, its icy arms dragging her towards oblivion with unrelenting force.
"The demon is coming for you, Ivy!" came the desperate voice from afar.
Ivy opened her mouth to answer but found that no sound would escape.
"Ivy, give me a reason to save you ... swear you will side with me and I'll free you from this terror..."
Selene’s voice rang out like a bell in the abyss, reverberating off the walls and gradually fading into nothing.
Ivy could not decide which was worse—aligning herself with Selene’s forces or siding with the darkness?
No matter what, she refused to become enslaved to either side; her freedom was something for which she’d fight until her last breath.
The freezing night air clawed at her skin as she stumbled through the darkness, a thick fog rolling in like a death shroud to smother away any hope of safety and security.
The cold emptiness clung to her body until she was nothing but a shivering shell of herself, downing in the darkness while thoughts of Killian filled her mind.
In the final moments before the world vanished from sight, she felt an ethereal void that seemed to linger long after her vision had faded.
And at that moment, she realized she had stepped into the abyss of darkness.
Chapter
Two
"Egypt! Are you serious?" Killian asked Ciaran who sat, leaning back in an arm chair as if there wasn't a single care in the world.
He wished he had a small degree of calmness that Ciaran had. But his cousin beat him a mile away with when it came to being cool and collected. Ciaran could slit an opponent's throat and still sip red wine as if he was enjoying an opera.
Ciaran returned his gaze from the rim of the crystal glass of his favorite Scotch to the document that Killian was holding in his hand.
"Do I need to respond, or was this a rhetorical question?"
Killian tossed the paper onto the table and ran his fingers through his disheveled hair.
"I guess we have no choice. Can't control the portal's destination. Egypt it is, and I'm getting Ivy back with or without the shifters' help!"
Ciaran squinted through the window, narrowing his gaze at a fleeting silhouette against the sweeping security light outside the Sanctuary. He watched as it hopped along, silhouetted in the bright rays, before the kangaroo disappeared from view. Turning back to Killian, Ciaran furrowed his brows.
"No shifter magic is gonna cut it this time. You need some serious technology and firepower to get the job done. And since we’re family, I'll do my part. But make no mistake — you owe me big time.
“I'm grateful. Should you find yourself in need of anything going forward, you only have to call me.”
Ciaran's lips twitched up into a smirk. "I want Ivy."
"What did you say?"
Ciaran chuckled. "I want to use her profile for my combat suit's model. Naturally, I'll seek her permission first. But she's quite timid when it comes to anything corporate—my world—so you'll have to help persuade her."
"Ciaran, shouldn't we focus on how to rescue her from the underworld before delving into modeling? Does that seem prudent to you right now?"
Ciaran drained the last drop of his wine, and murmured, "Yes, we must handle this issue now."
He removed a package from the bag, which had been delivered to him earlier, and handed it over to Killian.
The package was deceptively simple in appearance: a flat, rectangular parcel roughly the size of a neatly folded t-shirt. Its surface was an enigmatic shade of matte black, contrasting with the faint iridescent sheen that danced over it when light hit just right.
Despite its compact size, it had a palpable weightiness, hinting at the dense technology contained within. Fine seams crisscrossed the package, marking areas where it had been meticulously sealed. These seams gleamed with a slight metallic hue, suggesting a reinforced structure designed to withstand significant pressure. Embedded at its center was a small, unobtrusive tab, the sole indication of where one might begin to open it.
"You're holding the future of inter-world combat technology in your hands, Killian."
"Hm, what does this have to do with Ivy's modeling?"
"Well, after Ivy and I went to the Between-World to rescue you, we returned to London in the middle of the Thames and were completely soaked. Remember?"
Killian narrowed his eyes. "Yes, and you offered Ivy the combat suit."
"Yes, that was when it was still in prototype. The measurements for the suit fit Ivy's profile perfectly, and her profile helped us complete its development. Now the suit provides both offensive capabilities while also safeguarding human bodies during multidimensional travel without aid from supernatural forces."
Killian placed the suit bag on the table. "By supernatural aid, I assume you mean that we can pass through without requiring an invitation from the other world?"
Ciaran nodded. "Yes, it's especially pertinent to this journey. You and I will go to the underworld sans an invitation. I'm assuming the underworld won't allow her a safe return here. So she'll require the suit to come back with us."
Killian shook his head. "That makes sense. But still, what does that have to do with Ivy's modeling?"
Ciaran sighed. "The measurements we took to complete the suit weren't just her body, we also took her blood profile. And that was what completed the suit. I kept the data without her permission. But now you and I are using the suits on this trip..."
"I understand that. The suits help us go to the underworld. In a way, they help us help her. I can't think of a reason why Ivy would object to her blood profile being used for our protection. She tends to protect people."
Ciaran shook his head. "And do you think you can persuade her to grant permission for mass production of these weaponized suits?"
"It's not mass production if it's helping our family, Ciaran?"
"No, but at this stage, we can't make the suits ourselves. Not yet. We have to outsource part of the production to another company. And they will want to mass produce this. We can refuse, but then we won't be able to make more suits."
"How many do we have now?"
"Five. These are still prototypes, so they only last one use."
Ciaran put another four packages on the table. "Between you and I, we will use up four suits. Ivy will use one. That's it."
"Can we deal with the production issue later? After we get her back?"
"Yes, I just wanted to let you know now so we're clear."
Killian nodded. "It's clear. I appreciate you being transparent about this. What exactly is in Ivy's blood that makes it special?"
There was a long pause.
"You wouldn't surprise me even if you tried, Ciaran. Is that her connection with the underworld? With the demons?"
Ciaran nodded. "Maybe. But that's only a theory. The demons could have wanted anyone, but why her? And also, the underworld and the herd of goddesses and deities could have gone for another family—there are plenty of powerful and well-connected people in both worlds. Why us?"
Killian nodded. "Agreed. But remember, we're the only family with this strange split between shifters and non-shifters."
"I know. And I understand why you don't call my half of the family 'humans' ..."
