Excerpt 1.
Tracking a doe through the forest, Suleima could feel the earth breathing beneath her feet. There was nowhere near the connection to the earth and her elements in the city that she’d found here in her new home. Here, she was on her own, and away from the rapid pace of the city, away from her past, and she preferred it that way. 

There was a squirrel foraging for nuts to the west, a snake sunning on a rock somewhere to the south. A pack of predators were a couple miles north—too far to judge the species. Using the earth’s essence more than her own sight, she could see the trees. Each individual leaf pulsed and vibrated with the slight breeze in the air, straining for the sun. The screech of a hawk, soaring above, brought her back to her task.

Using the vibrations, the ebb and flow of the earth and her elements, she was able to silently track the doe deep into the forest to a small clearing just beside a shallow creek. Even that small trickle of water was enough to make her muscles sing. If not for the rain last night, the creek would likely be dry. She crouched, placing her right hand on the ground, physically connecting with the soil below. Her fingers tingled and her blood raced. As the power of the elements raced through her, she knew her eyes had drifted from their usual gray to a vibrant violet.

Suleima basked in the warmth of the sun, filtered through the leaves of the trees behind her. Taking a deep breath, Suleima released the energy she was holding while touching the soil, and slowly stood. She retraced her steps out of the clearing and headed in the direction of her home. She had waited too long to use the elements; she was tired and needed to recharge.

She never should have let it go for this long. She needed to keep her skills honed. Although she was away from the city, the reason she left was still out there, and her past would catch up with her sooner or later. Hearing a slight huff to her left, she cursed herself for letting her guard down. The pack of predators she sensed earlier had closed in on her without her knowing it. Wolves . . . werewolves. 

Excerpt 2.
An enormous grizzly bear stood on his hind legs, sniffing the air. She never even noticed its approach. The bear was downwind from them, so Gage never caught its scent either. 

Gage turned quickly, and then, seeing the bear, slowly backed toward Suleima, keeping himself between them. When he reached her, she tried to push him to the side, but he wouldn’t budge.

“You can’t fight a grizzly, Gage. You have no time to shift, and one wolf—even an Alpha werewolf—against bear that size . . .”

Gage pulled a knife from his waistband. While it was a nice knife, it did nothing to even the playing field.

The bear left out a deafening roar. Her ears were ringing, and she couldn’t imagine the effect it had on Gage’s more sensitive ears. The bear dropped to all fours, and its muscles bunched, preparing to charge.

Suleima pulled at some branches of the trees near the bear, blocking its path, and she pushed a gust of wind at it, carrying the small remains of their lunch into its face and beyond. She softened the earth beneath its feet, making it harder to find traction for its charge. At the same time, she pulled branches from a nearby tree to herself. She quickly grabbed her pack and Gage’s, leaving the rest of the food and tent where it was.

Gage’s eyes grew wide as the branch wrapped around him, tugging them both off the ground and into the tree about twelve feet, their feet dangling in midair, just as the grizzly charged through the branch wall she had created below.

His head snapped in her direction. “Bears climb!”

“Even if this one wanted to, these branches are too flimsy.” She gritted her teeth against the power it was taking to hold them in the air as the bear tore through the supplies still on the ground. There would be holes to repair in the tent, but at least they wouldn’t have to repair any holes in each other, and their clothes and most of the essential items were safe.

The food . . .that was a problem for later. 

Excerpt 3.
“Gage, Dirrin has a distinct signature to his work. The burns. His primary power is fire. He’s done a lot of damage to supernaturals and humans alike with his powers. He enjoys the marks it leaves.” Suleima gestured to the body of the gargoyle. “This unnatural was an ally. He does worse to those who oppose him. I tell you this because you need to know and understand what you are up against. Joining us in this battle will put you and your pack in grave danger.”

“We are already involved, Suleima,” Kaly replied for him. “We get the danger.”

“I don’t think you do, Alpha.” Dynasira stepped forward, “Pack Setura stayed out of the fight last time. The few wolves we managed to recruit were rogues. None survived. There is a chance no one survives against Dirrin. There are those of us who are willing to risk it all to stop him. You have to be willing to do so as well, to sacrifice your entire pack, or we don’t want your help.”

Gage bristled, and Suleima placed herself between the Alpha wolf and Dynasira. “There are serious consequences to facing off with Dirrin. Death is sometimes the easiest to deal with.” Suleima looked up to the sky, raised her hands above her head, and wiped them down her face, to reveal an angry scar along the entire left side. The glamor lifted completely, showing a left hand damaged beyond repair, wrinkled welts covering the whole of it. “He shows no mercy and burns without thought. He nearly killed me the last time, and he left me with a lifetime of pain.” In a flash, she replaced her glamor.

The shock on the faces in front of her was enough to deal with, but the pity in their eyes was just too much. She turned and walked back into her cabin. Suleima was tired of the fight, tired of the constant worry. 

She wanted to bring the fight to him, not just wait for attacks, but she needed to be smart. She couldn’t run headlong into this battle. It would put everyone at risk. She needed to get him one-on-one and keep everyone else out of danger.