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

Water filled my mouth before I clamped my lips shut and tried to hold my breath. The icy water was like daggers, stabbing me over and over. He kept me under with one hand and pulled an enormous rock from its place to the left of him and dropping it onto my waist and hips, trapping me. Pain radiated through my chest as my ribs broke, but I refused to scream and expel the last of my precious supply of air.

They say before you die, your whole life flashes before your eyes. Not true. As I thrashed about, struggling to break free, I saw nothing about my nearly eighteen years of life. Was that because I hadn’t accomplished anything yet? Besides going to high school and playing a few silly parts in plays, my life was limited. I hadn’t even fallen in love.

My lungs screamed, begging for relief as I beat against the crushing rock. Eventually, my body gave up, and I lay still, my thoughts drifting peacefully, imagining the billions of stars overhead, shining brightly in the Milky Way.

Right before the darkness swallowed me forever, I heard a low howl. The rock was suddenly gone, and I bobbed to the surface, too weak to move. Strange yellow eyes appeared before my face. They were attached to a wolf so enormous and so black he took over the night. Sharp teeth clamped down on my shoulder, piercing the skin. A whoosh of adrenaline skittered along my body, like a ghost over my grave. Except it didn’t leave. The sensation sank in and filtered along my veins, pumping through to my heart and back out again. Power, my mind said. It was savage and uncontrollable like a monster was growing inside me.

There was some pain, but it was far away as if the agony didn’t belong to me, and I felt it for someone else. I was too busy coughing and heaving and gasping for air.

As the wolf dragged me from the water, rocks and dirt scraped against my heels and ankles, tearing at my tender skin. I didn’t mind. All I could focus on was getting enough air. And there was never enough. The wolf let go and whined, his nose pressing against my cheek as he licked me.

Screw the Keepers and my father. We have a blood bond, and that makes you mine.

The words filtered along my subconscious, dreamlike. I coughed some more, my lungs heaving while my broken ribs screamed. None of it made sense.

The wolf nudged me with the tip of his nose and licked me again. It should’ve been gross, but it was somehow endearing. Plus, I hurt too much to concentrate on anything other than staying alive. His eyes found mine. They were so desolate, and I wanted to reach out and feel if his fur was as soft as it looked as I comforted him. It’s okay, I thought, determined to reach out to him. But my body wouldn’t obey, and my eyelids grew so heavy. Heavier than the boulder had been. They shut, closing out the stars and the night and the massive black wolf. Death was lonely, and I was grateful he was there to keep me company.

“Can you hear me, Diana?” a soft female voice encouraged.

I blinked my eyes open, but they were blurry like seeing through water or a dirty window.

Maybe I had died.

A face leaned in. As it drew closer, I saw a striking woman. She smelled of lemon and rich soil. Her hair was long, white-blond, and part of it was pinned back. Flowers that reminded me of daisies made a crown around her head. Her skin was deep brown, and her eyes studied me intently. “You’re going to be fine,” she said and stood. She wore a flowing gown, the same color as the yellow center of the daisies. Her feet were bare except the matching flowers between her toes. They traveled up her foot and around her ankles. “You are the first, Diana. But you won’t be the last. There must be three. Wolf blood. Vampire blood. Magic blood. For so long, I've been waiting for you, wolf blood. My chosen daughter.” Soft laughter erupted from her. “Come, my beauties. Witness that the prophecy has finally begun.” She raised her hands.

All around me, I heard sounds I didn’t understand. Things—monstrous horrors—appeared all around me. Creatures my brain struggled to comprehend. They filtered around me one by one.

It didn’t even occur to me to be afraid or fear what I was seeing.

This must be a dream.

After what felt like days, the woman was alone once again. She knelt and took my face in her hands. “Sweet Diana. You need not be troubled. I am Mother Earth, and you are the first of my emissaries. Born of my magic. Your purpose was dormant, but no more.” Her eyes filled with tears. “You will be taught to kill, and you will be good at it. There is one Wyatt Wright. He will do all he can to distract you from what is important. I sense the blood bond between you, and while I am grateful he awakened your wolf, you must resist him at all costs. For he is not your destiny, sweet Diana, and seeks to lead you astray.” She leaned back. “Now,” she began, caressing a finger across my forehead. At her touch, there was pain, like what happens when eating ice cream too fast.

I clenched my eyes shut for the briefest moment.

“Now you know the secret truths of the Shade Rasa,” Mother Earth continued. “Soon, I will unleash my monstrous beauties on the world as in the days of old. They will lay waste to cities and countries until enough are dead, and nature can flourish once again.” She took my hand, clinging to it with both of hers. “I want to live in harmony with humanity. My beauties and I wish for nothing more