Initiation (Wolf Blood Academy Book 1) by RaShelle Workman (best book club books for discussion txt) 📕

closer I got, the scarier the monster became, but I shoved away my fears and focused on my friend.

Until one of the wolves, a black and white one, leaped at the monster, its mouth open. Then everything slowed down. The giant creature noticed the wolf and focused its attention there. When the wolf was within reach, the monster grabbed the wolf out of thin air, wrapping one of its clawed hands around the wolf’s neck and shaking. It growled and hissed, bringing the wolf in so that I thought the monster intended to eat the wolf.

“No!” The word left my mouth before I realized it.

The creatures all turned my direction, but only briefly. Then the monster dripped something from its fang onto the black and white wolf before tossing it away like a piece of rotten meat. The wolf hit a tree with a crack and a thud before disappearing under the brush.

All of my senses heightened at once. My wolf rushed out of me. Then I was running. So fast, the trees and bushes were flying by in a blur. But I didn’t slow until I passed the wolves, putting myself between them and the terrifying creature in front of me.

When I came to a halt, the thing lowered its head, its forked tongue coming out as if it wanted to taste my fear. But there wasn’t any. My head dropped, as well. If I had to, I would ram it.

It growled, staring me down and dug its claws into the dirt. I wished there was some way to tell the creature I wouldn’t hurt it if it went away and left us alone.

Please stop, I called out with my mind.

The thing physically relaxed and tilted its head to one side. I mean you no harm. The words collided inside my mind.

I shook them away, thinking I must be hearing things. You hurt one of the wolves, I reiterated, glancing off in the direction the wolf had been sent. Part of me didn’t want to believe I was communicating with the monster. It had to be a mistake. Or a coincidence.

Yes, but only when she came after me first. It shook its head. I am Kya, and I am searching for my baby. It was out hunting with my mate several days ago, but neither has returned. These wolves came upon me. I’m guessing I startled them. Our Mother Earth demands we leave all of our blood descendants alone unless provoked.” Her tongue slithered from her mouth. I was provoked and only defending myself. But if I discover one of your kind killed my mate, then there will be war.

One of the wolves howled. It was brown and black and as large, if not larger than Wyatt’s wolf.

I turned to see it was pacing back and forth, unsure about what to do. The wolves had me at a disadvantage. Since my wolf was silver, everyone knew who I was while I only knew very few wolves at the Academy.

The other one, whose fur was tan and white, barked and whined before taking off.

The one that remained paused and growled, flashing all of its teeth.

I barked at it, trying to tell it everything was okay.

Its ears perked up, and he shook his enormous head. Diana? He growled again, and before I could acknowledge him, he charged the monster.

Cohen! I shouted his name as he ran past me, but he didn’t stop.

The monster was prepared for his attack and smacked him away like the other one as if he were nothing more than a gnat.

You killed them. Anger burned brightly inside my mind, and I felt part of myself detach and leave my body.

The monster leaned back, her eyes on whatever part of myself hovered above me. I prepared to attack and kill it for what it’d done, but Oakus was suddenly there, his little body standing between us.

She is my mother, he said into my mind. Then he turned to his mother and said, She is my friend. Stop fighting. Please.

Some of my anger subsided.

Kya forgot all about me and leaned down so that Oakus could climb into outstretched and sharply clawed hands. He climbed in, and she nuzzled him. My baby, she cooed.

I didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t let the monster get away with killing my teammates. There had to be some sort of rule against that. At the same time, I didn’t want to hurt Oakus’s mother.

After several moments, Kya tucked her child onto her back, where he snuggled and promptly fell asleep. I was happy for him, but sad too. I already loved the little guy. Kya then studied me. You are Moonlight, one of the chosen, she said into my mind.

I nodded.

Let me help you remember your destiny. 

Before I could tell her that wasn’t necessary, one of her claws touched the point directly between my eyes. A vision opened up. I was lying on the ground, and a beautiful woman with white-blond hair came forward, her head crowned with daisies and her feet bare. She showed me all of her monsters and spoke words that seemed to travel through my mind and exit before I could take hold of them.

Except for the types of monsters and what they meant. Lupangus. That was what Oakus and Kya were. There were two other kinds as well. Sanguilamia and Equmagiranae. From the Lupangus monsters came the wolf bloods. Sanguilamia were the vampire bloods, and Equmagiranae were the magic bloods.

The information appeared and took root in my head like it had been buried deep in my subconscious and was finally able to come to life. Beyond that was the knowledge that I loved the woman as well as her monsters. They were essential to me and should be important to our world.

But why?

As the vision vanished, the question lingered in my thoughts. I didn’t have the answer. When I finally came around, it was to the sound of rustling in the bushes to my right. Panic filtered along my veins, causing my heart to race, and my eyes flew open.

Oakus was curled on my chest, his