Trapt: A Twisted Wolf Tale

Synopsis

Mardi Gras is coming, and no one is more excited than Jolie—The Big Easy’s resident good witch. Amidst the festivities, darkness creeps under the blissful veil of love she is entangled with. Her twin sister, the evil witch Melanie, is out to destroy Jolie before her powers can usurp her own, willing to stop at nothing to do so. Jolie, aided by Asher and his seven-man wolf pack, are set to keep New Orleans safe from Melanie’s sorcery, or die trying.

Enjoy the story of Jolie and Asher, a modern-day retelling of the classic tale Snow White.

This Mardi Gras season, let the sinful good times roll with Trapt, a Twisted Wolf Tale and part of the Red Hot Cajun Nights multi-author series (stands alone for reading enjoyment).

Warning: This supernatural urban fantasy romance novella contains adult situations and is meant for ages 18+.

Find out more on Rene’s website at

http://renefolsom.com/trapt

Copyright © 2015 Rene Folsom

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission from the authors, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Editing Services Provided by:

Cynthia Shepp - www.CynthiaShepp.com

Cover Created by Phycel Designs

www.Phycel.com

For Michael Loring—

who inspired me to bring the wolves out to play.

Table of Contents

Synopsis

Trapt

The Power

The Pack

The Past

The Present

The Distraction

The Magnetism

The Devastation

The Welcome

The Acceptance

The Fear

The Heart

The Calm

The Storm

The Confrontation

The Celebration

The End

Books by Rene

About Rene

Red Hot Cajun Nights Holiday Collection

The Power

Staring into the murky pools of the swamplands—her swamplands—Melanie sought out the only thing she truly loved.

Herself.

Usually, the reflection staring back at her was that of her own. After all, she was the most powerful witch around. The knowing smirk that usually glowered back at her from the marshy waters gave her confidence, showing her just how beautiful and powerful she’d become.

But this time was different. While the rippling reflection looked like her, she knew better. There was an air of kindness to the woman—a gentleness that was against Melanie’s very nature.

Confusion filled her to her core. There was no way she was turning into her sister, no way she was becoming the soft, weak witch that her sister was. No, there had to be another explanation. Before Melanie knew it, her confusion turned to panic, and then panic morphed into an overwhelming anger that suited her quite well.

An evil resolve finally settled over her soul as she realized what this meant—it was a premonition of sorts.

Jolie was going to overpower her... unless she put a stop to it.

*****

The small bell dinging over the door had me lifting my head and pushing a strand of black hair from my face to see who had entered my shop. I had to shield my eyes from the sun shining through the windowed doorway before the woodsy scent of sandalwood wafted in my direction, immediately reminding me of my parents. My mom used to use sandalwood oils for making soaps for our family. Oh, how I wished they were the ones walking through the door right now.

As the figure came nearer, closing the distance between us and blocking the bright barrage of sun through the glass door, I noticed he was a man much taller and broader than my father ever was—intimidatingly tall, I might add.

Hi there. Welcome to the Gallipott. Can I help you find something? I said in my polite, high-pitched voice. The man’s face was still shrouded in shadow, the light from the sun causing my eyes to play tricks on me.

My hand was already on the chain around my neck, ready to cast a spell if the man proved to be an issue. Theft and assault weren’t exactly a rarity on the main drag of Bourbon Street, even with enforcements being increased during events, and I didn’t dare take these situations lightly.

The smile on my face must’ve contradicted my defensive stance, because the man chuckled and said, I’m actually here looking for a woman named Jolie?

My sigh of relief probably could’ve been heard for miles as he stepped closer, the sun no longer an issue as I stared into his kind eyes.

Yes, I’m Jolie. What can I do for you? I asked, trying desperately to keep the skeptical sound from my voice. I could tell he wasn’t human, but I couldn’t seem to put my finger on exactly what he was.

As if he were invited to do so, the man sat on a stool near the front counter, leaning his elbow on the glass and making himself right at home. I normally didn’t mind, but considering this man came in specifically looking for me by name had my defenses up a bit.

Someone told me I could come to you for help, or maybe advice on where to go for help, he said with a seemingly permanent smile on his face and a quirk to his brow.

He was rather handsome, his eyes a captivating gold color not many possessed, but I had the distinct feeling he was keeping something from me.

And what might that be? I asked, my attempts to be polite a dire necessity since my shop needed all the customers it could possibly get in this economy.

Well, one of my... ahh... roommates, Almos, has fallen ill. We’re not quite sure what’s wrong with him other than he constantly insists he’s tired, even going as far as sleeping through work at times. Another roomie of mine, Osane, has some medical experience, but lacks the knowledge or recent practice to help Almos. With a shrug, he looked at me with pleading eyes and said, I heard you could possibly do house calls if someone is unable to come to you?

While I would never turn down someone in need, his necessity for me specifically seemed a bit suspicious. There were tons of doctors around. Why he needed an Apothecary to help was beyond me.

And you can’t take him to a doctor because why again? I asked, already knowing the answer he’d give me.

Let’s just say doctors are out of the question, he said with a nod, his perma-smile still taking over his features like it was glued there.

I knew why—he wasn’t human. But what he was exactly seemed to elude me.

Looking at the time on the wall clock, I huffed and resigned myself to the fact I’d have to close about an hour early. It wasn’t like business was booming. It was likely no one would even notice.

Okay, you can take me to him, but on one condition, I said, holding my finger up so he knew how serious I was. Don’t hide anything from me. In order for me to help get to the root of the problem, I need to know everything.

A nod and smile was all I received in return. He knew just what I meant—I needed to know what he was in order to help.

Puck, I whispered as I poked my head into the back storage area and grabbed a few bottles from a shelf, gently placing them in my satchel. Puck was a little imp friend of mine—she had the most beautiful wings like a fairy with a rather distasteful face like a goblin—the prime example of an imp. Though her kind always had the stereotype of being mischievous, she was, by far, the most joyous imp to be around.

Yes, Jo? she said, popping her small head up from behind one of the jars and making me jump a bit. She was also a sneaky little runt.

Could you grab some of the Eleuthero and Oil of Oregano off those shelves for me? Since Puck was small, I made sure she could help me with the lighter things from time to time.

Sure thing, her shrill voice affirmed as she flitted about, gathering the things I asked for. It only took her a matter of seconds to come back with the items in hand and drop them into my bag. I held the top open, silently inviting her to get in. She usually accompanied me on any trips away from the shop, and this one wouldn’t be any different—though, depending on where we were headed would determine whether she had to stay in my bag or not.

I particularly wanted her to tag along so that things would stay business only between this man and myself. It was less likely for any foul play with a witness in tow.

Okay then, the man said, turning to lead me out the door.

What’s your name? I asked, just now realizing I should’ve inquired about this man long before accepting his invitation to leave with him. Sometimes, I was way too trusting.

Asher, he responded, extending his hand to shake as he opened the door for me, ever the gentleman. My friends call me Ash.

Again, he greeted me with an overly prominent grin I was beginning to think would never wane.

Noticing his attention was elsewhere, I used my powers to lock the shop up behind me, never wanting to take my eyes off the man’s backside. I knew I shouldn’t have, but sometimes my better judgment slipped my mind and nature tended to take over.

Just because I didn’t know him well, didn’t mean I couldn’t at least enjoy the view.

The streets were busy with businesses decorating and preparing for Mardi Gras, everyone in a hurry to get ready for the festivities that were set to happen in about a week. It was a human tradition that was quite a lot of fun.

Of course, the supernatural creatures of our world had always been intertwined with mortals, regardless of whether they were aware of it or not. So, it didn’t shock me when a female kobold, my shop neighbor and the prettiest of all trolls, materialized right beside us as no one was looking, eyeing Asher as we passed. He didn’t seem to notice though, which made me question whether he was human or not. She was very good at disguising herself, but I found her to be quite brazen with how often she popped in and out of her physical state. Someday, a human was going to catch her—and then what?

I can’t believe you do that in public, Ash mumbled, never turning to address me directly or bothering to pay any mind to the female troll, who now took a different form after being dejected.

What? Locking my door? I couldn’t believe he’d even seen that, let alone why he’d give me shit over it. In all honesty, I knew better than to use my powers in public, but it wasn’t like a human would give two seconds notice with what I’d just done. However, supernatural beings could definitely sense any sort of power or increased energy around them, and often saw it