Raven Moon Read Free Page B

oozed down her neck. Gross.
    Cashel joined her, stepped close and then covered his nose. “Princess, are you all right?”
    Rave sniffed her coat and took it off. I’m tired of this cape anyway. “Cashel, let’s shift and go.” She returned to raven form and spread her wings. Dry enough for flight, at least. Fortunately as a bird, she did not stink as bad as she did in human form.
    Cashel gave her a curt nod, shifted and took flight.
    They flew low alongside the van driven by Beth while Beccan sat shotgun. Dave rolled down the window and gave her a thumbs-up. She responded with a loud caw. Looks like they got over the fact they were being rescued by raven shifters. Wait until they meet the werewolves.

Chapter 2
    Kindred hunter, Maddox followed two betas to the headquarters of the new pater of the Benandanti pack, Pater Lazarus. Maddox had originally flown from Scotland to the Benandanti’s Great Lakes territory, only to find it empty. He’d learned from a survivor about the Kindred’s second attack on the Benandanti pack. After months of searching, he found what was left of the once larger pack, here in Montana. The scents of the new territory were pleasant yet disconcerting. A pristine country far from zombies, accompanied by the stench of fear and cruelty. What happened in his absence? His hackles rose. This was no longer the pack he knew.
    While Maddox had hunted and killed the werewolf- hunting Kindred in zombie-infested England, the American Kindred struck a second deadly blow to the Benandanti pack in their Great Lakes territory. After the Kindred’s initial defeat, they returned with more men and killed leader, Pater Valeray along with half of the pack. The werewolves fought hard, tearing the human Kindred to shreds, but against silver bullets, they had no chance of survival and one third escaped. The leader of the Kindred, Jaeger, left Valeray’s carcass hanging from a tree. Lazarus and the remaining pack fled their Great Lakes territory to Montana. Landing by helicopters and small airplanes, Lazarus and his pack used silver ammo to massacre the local Vircolac pack. Why had the Benandanti broken their most sacred tenant never to use silver bullets against their kind? Maddox had been absent for almost a year, and part of him wished he’d stayed in England. He’d only returned to exact vengeance against his nemesis, Jaeger.
    Yet information he’d learned since his arrival two days ago about the new pater of the Benandanti did not sit well with him. The ruthless alpha, Lazarus took over the pack in a coup by killing Valeray’s next in line sons and his mate. Driven by God’s commands and a well-organized devoted pack, he ordered Valeray’s sons and mate, Lucinda executed with silver bullets. The Benandanti only ordered death sentences for acts of holy blasphemy, never for political gain. Had Valeray’s teenage sons and his wife really practiced dark magic? Maddox doubted it. What really happened and why? Or had Lazarus developed a brain tumor that caused him to have illusions of grandeur and paranoia? As they reached the pater’s door, Maddox pressed his lips tight. Best he remained guarded lest he too become a quick enemy of the new regime.
    The beta guard lowered his gaze and knocked on the door. “Master, Templar Maddox is here.”
    Maddox wore his full white Templar uniform and white hooded cloak, similar to the human Templar Knights of the Middle Ages. A white leather tunic with a red cross, however, a wolf’s head rested in the center of the Benandanti cross. Only warriors of the highest order received the title of Templar.
    “Enter,” said Lazarus.
    Maddox, the most powerful alpha amongst the Benandanti or Hounds of God, nonetheless bowed in respect to Pater Lazarus, a werewolf he despised not only for his well-known cruelty, but for rumors about his fondness for mating with captured human women. Not to mention the recent heartless murders of the former alpha’s family. His voice remained