The BlackWolf Effect (Book IV)

CHAPTER ONE - Fresh Kill

Timber Elizabeth Santelli was an unusual woman in many ways. In all outward appearances, she was a normal individual. She was a young housewife as was the tradition on her aunt's side of the family. She owned a small craftsman-style house in the middle of a small coastal town in California and she could be found once a month volunteering at a local organization to help local families in need receive food and toys. What was unusual about her was her secret life, and her other, more wolfish side. She shuddered to think about what would happen if the humans found out about her.

Timber spent the first years of her life within the gates of a sanctuary called Haven. Hidden deep in the forests of Idaho, Haven was concealed from view through enchantments set in place by Timber's friend, the immortal Lord Renegade Frost. An attempt on her life brought her and her parents out of Haven and all the way to Nebraska for the next three years. After the murder of her mother and father, Timber was sent to live with her aunt, uncle, and cousin in the small, historic town of Fort Bragg, California. It was there she grew up and met her husband.

Less than two hours after he pulled into the driveway of his new rental home, Timber met Henry. He was finishing unloading the small amount of furniture he owned when he saw her trying to back away from her rather disgusting neighbor. He had come to her aid and they were inseparable ever since. During the first year of their relationship, he had watched her fight the Vanquisher (the shadow of a vanquished demon), he had fought beside her during her fight with another werewolf who had been trying to kill her, and they had both fought in the Great Haven War. Timber loved her husband of five years more than anything in the world. She admired his strength, his determination, his tenderness, and his fun side. Henry also had a secret identity of his own. Henry, like Timber, had a wolf. Unlike her wolf, however, he could not control his during the full moon without special medication.

Timber and Henry had just come home from a visit with their best friends, Xianna and Dresden Michaels who lived on the other side of the Noyo Bridge, only to find Timber's aunt on the cream painted wooden front porch with her cell phone out. She seemed to be having trouble finding the spare key and it was obviously frustrating her.

"I was about to call you," she said upon seeing them. She sighed lightly and smiled.

Timber noticed something different about her aunt's appearance immediately. Grace Frunden was a petite Southern Belle with greying strawberry blonde hair that was commonly done up in a vintage fashion. She was usually adorned with red lips and a string of pearls around her neck. Timber noticed that her lips were a different color and the dress she was wearing seemed to be from a newer decade than the dresses she usually wore. It was flattering on her but to Timber, it looked odd.

"I'm sorry. I moved the key to sweep," said Timber. "It's over the door frame now. I'm sorry. I should have called to let you know."

"It's alright. That's a better place to put it," said Grace.

Henry stepped forward and unlocked the door, and then took a step back to let Grace and Timber in first. They all sat down in the simply decorated living room and Grace began to twiddle her fingers. This occurrence was unwelcomed to Timber. Grace was usually one to be still and upright as though her spine was supported by a stiff pole. She was slightly hunched and fidgety and to Timber, that meant that her aunt was scared about something.

"Emily called me earlier to say she's nice and settled into her new studio apartment," said Grace with a tone of forced calm. "She's got her bedroom space put together; she has a couch, a cookin' pot, and a few dishes. She said she likes San Francisco except for all of the one-way streets. Her apartment is two bus stops away from a gym and she's only a block away from her part-time job at Whole Foods."

"Well that's not bad," said Timber. "Is she going to be okay? I mean she's working through college. I know a lot of people do that but this is Emily we're talking about. She's going to go crazy if she doesn't have time for fun."