Relentless Read Free

waited. She flashed the light again. In the distance, I could hear a boat engine running. She continued to flash the light until the sound was louder and we could see an answering light coming toward us.
    I could just make out three figures in the boat, all wearing what I’d first called a ridiculous costume. The same thing Louise was wearing. Now that I understood its use, I guess it wasn’t so ridiculous. The long silvery-black coat, shirt, and torso protector, along with black pants, were all made by and for the Lycernians. It was protection for when they fought the other werewolves or tried to help people who had been changed into werewolves return to their human form. I guess if I’d had one, Louise would have wanted me to wear it. But I didn’t have one. It was one more thing that would happen when I went to the island.
    As a guy in the front of the boat tossed a rope to Louise, the others prepared to jump to the bank. Cleaners. They looked like normal people in ridiculous outfits. But these were the people I’d be spending my time with from now on. The people who would be training me to be whatever I was expected to be. The island, Louise called it Dromen, was where my aunt and other werewolves held school, at least for now. I hadn’t been able to find it on any map. But then the waters around the Florida Keys were dotted with small, unnamed landmasses. The Project was a program of special training for werewolves with talents. Louise seemed to think I possessed these. I didn’t feel very talented. Apparently this school was going to search my abilities, find the best ones, then hone them to a sharp edge. For what purpose, I didn’t know. As Lycernians, we tried to save innocent humans from being turned into werewolves by the Fenryrians. It was a battle that my werewolf family had been fighting for hundreds of years. Now I was supposed to be part of it. Somehow I felt like there had to be something more. Especially since the guy I wanted to be with was Fenryrian.
    Louise tied the boat to a nearby tree while the three leapt to the rocky outcropping from the swaying craft. Their powerful movements reminded me that we were all more than human. Each of the three people from the boat had a small case in hand.
    “Hey, I’m Eileen.” The flashlight glinted off the dark brown hair of a petite girl in front of me. When she held out her hand, I could see her face better and realized that, though she was petite, she was older than me. Her eyes said she’d seen too much, of what, I wasn’t sure.
    I shook her hand, and Louise waved toward the two men. Both appeared to be in their twenties.
    “Tom, Karl, Eileen.” Louise pointed to each one as she said their name. “This is my niece, Alexis.”
    They nodded to me but turned their attention immediately to Louise.
    “Which way?” the young man named Tom asked.
    Louise set off, and we all followed. Karl brought up the rear behind me. We crossed the clearing then began to follow the path the people had taken. In front, Tom paused and held his head high, sniffing. I leaned forward over Eileen’s shoulder.
    “What’s he doing?”
    “Scenting the humans and the blood?”
    I twisted my head and sniffed. “I don’t smell anything.”
    She smiled. “You’ll learn. Tom’s scenting is really accurate. Since a significant amount of time has elapsed, the scent molecules will have drifted. I can smell them right now and get a general idea where they are. But Tom can pinpoint them exactly.”
    I nodded, though I didn’t really understand. We were all werewolves, so why couldn’t we all just do the same stuff? Which, of course, set me to the next most obvious thought, why couldn’t the two packs get along? The Fenryrians didn’t want to live like the people of my pack, and my pack was completely against attacking humans and spreading a virus that would make humans werewolves. That was one thing I was thankful for. I really didn’t want to bite people, to hurt them, kill