Blood Renegades over too soon? If you enjoyed Rebel Vampires Volume 3, you’ll love the next book in the series, Rebel Vampires Volume 4: Blood Legends.
Prepare yourself for Age of the Blood Legends to begin...
Before the release of Blood Legends, comes the start of a whole new series from Rosemary A Johns in 2018: Rebel Werewolves Volume 1: Moon Broken.
Why not escape into a world where the fox hunts the wolf… She’s the first female Wolf Charmer on CID; he’s the first wolf on the Oxford Were Unit. Both are chasing their families’ killers and hiding the dark secrets of their pasts. Welcome to Were Town…
REBEL WEREWOLVES VOLUME 1: MOON BROKEN
Omega’s first day on the Were Unit at Oxford police station was much like a puppy’s with its new family: petted for its novelty, before being smacked over the nose for growling at the Siamese cat.
Omega was sipping on his second mug of hot milk sweetened with rich honey, which had been heated by Detective Zach Little, the youngest member of the team - and definite pack material, Omega had decided with a determined nod – when the Wolf Charmer sidled into the office.
Omega stiffened. He could feel – the siren call of her – scratching under his skin. His human skin. Worming deep beneath to the wolf, who snarled his agony, clawing at his guts to escape, snap, bite…
‘A rabbit…thump, thump…under the wheels, and it’s my own fault for being #OverTheTop, like I’d hit a kid, but they convinced me to confess to Hawk. I was bricking it. You should’ve seen the Inspector’s face when I reported the death of Bright Eyes.’
Zach sniggered. He was still nattering, as Omega perched on the Detective’s regimented desk, which was alive with phones, computers and snaking cables, and casually swung his boots on the swivel chair. Still cracking jokes and trying to impress.
Sweet Alpha, Zach had called Omega in jest, better make it something decent, before the others choose… Omega hadn’t needed Zach to fill in the blanks: Fiend, Baby-Eater, Animal, Werewolf…
Omega couldn’t hear Zach now though. Not with that woman – all black hair and emerald eyes – stalking towards him across the open-plan office.
Omega was tense with the knowledge there was nowhere to hide.
The stink of the brand new carpets caught at the back of his throat: demonic red against the angelic white of the walls. There was a tangled web of Good Work letters, mixed with fuzzy photos of targets; someone had sketched cupid hearts between one couple. Omega smirked: so had to be his boy Zachary. As did the phone number for The Jeremy Kyle Show scrawled underneath the official list of Thames Valley contacts.
The Wolf Charmer had stopped next to Zach’s desk. Right beside his shoulder. Although she was shorter than Zach, the way she held her head so erectly on her neck..? Made her looked like she was taller. And had a stick up her arse.
Omega bristled, surging with unexpected protectiveness, before deflating: by the Moon this was a Wolf Charmer – you wrapped them around your little finger with manipulation, mind games and your own charms, whilst you tested for weaknesses…but you could never protect against them.
Omega hadn’t reckoned his handler would be a woman; the ones who’d trained him had all been men. He didn’t know why the feel of her already invading him, and her smell – a powerful wave of musk – choking him, was so much harder to take.
Maybe she’d still ‘friend’ him? He had a hilarious meme about a witch he could share…
Omega forced a smile. Time to play the game. ‘Guess you’re my new partner then?’
A snow white hand stroking his face; Omega hadn’t expected that. Nor the words whispered for him alone, stinging and vicious as scorpions, ‘Guess you’re my new dog then?’
Omega jerked away, crashing back Zach’s chair with a vicious – slam – as Omega overbalanced. When Omega heard Zach’s gasp of pain, he whimpered. Wounding his boy? Great job, Sweet Alpha…
Silence. For the first time that morning in the office.
Omega flushed when he realised they’d become the freak show entertainment.
Nothing new there.
Omega scowled at his handler, baring just a little tooth: even the enemy deserved a warning.
The Wolf Charmer’s expression, however, was so still, you’d have reckoned they’d been discussing stationary.
Come to think of it: a decent fountain pen? Omega wouldn’t have minded chatting about that.
Nobody must ever learn of the nerd inside... His wolf could snap hard when he was cringing.
For a moment, the were and the Wolf Charmer scrutinized each other, and Omega shifted uneasily.
He knew what the Wolf Charmer saw: a tumble of pale moon blond curls and butterfly thick eyelashes heavy over golden eyes. He’d saved for suit trousers and an ivory shirt, in what he knew was a deluded attempt to fit in because he also wore the white woolen overcoat with moon symbol sewn onto the sleeve, as per regulation… Yeah, like he’d memorized those.
Omega also knew what the Wolf Charmer didn’t see: a were crouching, hunched over and gaze averted from her strict one, sniveling in submission because if she was waiting on that?
She could just go wait on another partner.
Omega supposed the Wolf Charmer was beautiful, but she was also cold, cruel, powerful…and she hated him already.
Not much beautiful about that.
Suddenly scarlet tendrils grew out of the Wolf Charmer’s hands; wisps of snaking shadow coiled, as if from her Soul: from her glowing eyes, chest and lips...a red, living thing intent on punishing him.
Omega could feel it pulsing; he could hear it hissing. Its sickly unnatural stench, like a rotting carcass or death, was reaching towards him. He started to pant and whine.
No Wolf Charmer had unleashed their charms on him. He’d behaved. Followed rules. He was one of the best in the Inclusion Program.
Call me Omega now, bitches.
The Charm slammed into him like a punch.
Omega cracked back against the desk. His mug of milk spilled, as if it was pale blood, in a pool across the papers, from his motionless hand. Pinned and spread-eagled, his wolf fought with rage, with its snout wrinkled in fury, it hurled itself against its cage.
Then Omega heard it: the music. Faint at first but still electrifying: a rowdy Mod revival of guitars and the joy of being young and free. Despite everything, as Kaiser Chief’s “I Predict a Riot” rampaged, louder and louder, as if it too was inside him, Omega’s lips curled into a smile. But then he jerked, gagging.
She was inside him. She knew: that’s how the magic trick worked. Somehow it wormed out your deepest…desire...love…hurt…and used it to tame you.
He would never be tamed.
Omega gagged again.
‘What’s..?’ Omega didn’t need to see Zach to know his boy was running his hand through his carefully waxed hair and worrying at the horn buttons on his navy waistcoat (and who in the furless heavens wore those, like a Victorian doll?). No one else could see it: the snakes coiling though Omega and manacling his wrists to the desk. Violating. No one could hear the music. No one but him and the Charmer. He wondered if it was all a type of hypnosis, and why they’d never covered this at the Omega Training Centre: probably reckoned obedience and cookery were more important life skills. ‘Hey, let up. Are you hurting him?’
‘You saw the were go for me. They’re not puppies.’ Omega wrestled harder to escape, anger blinding him. ‘See? Violent creatures.’
‘But…’ Zach again, this time closer; his fingers were soothing across Omega’s tense shoulder, ‘I’ve been with the bloke all morning and--’
‘Lucky your little face wasn’t savaged then, isn’t it, pretty?’ Not a flicker. The Wolf Charmer’s expression was as closed off as before.
Omega shuddered, as a crimson shadow slid between his legs. The riot in his head was beating so hard, he wouldn’t be surprised if his ears were bleeding. ‘Witch.’
The Wolf Charmer hovered over him; the black cloak of her hair transformed day to night. ‘Yes, beast?’ Omega felt her lips like dry leaves against his ear; her scent this close was pungent and overpowering. ‘If you have trouble curbing your tongue, dog, I can do it for you.’
When the Wolf Charmer drew back, their gazes met. Omega noticed that her eyes were greener than he’d ever seen before. She was studying him, waiting for the moment when he discovered…
He couldn’t move his tongue.
Omega choked; he couldn’t breathe. A red shadow was weighing down his tongue. The thought that she was in his mouth..? He’d be buying a stronger mouthwash tonight: did they make one with bleach in it?
At least he could still glare.
He was so going to glare.
For the first time, the Wolf Charmer looked amused.
Could you ignite someone with a look? Omega reckoned it was worth a try – then he’d have himself a burning.
‘Guys, is this how we greet new members of our team? I think not. Detective Fox, care to explain?’ Inspector Andrew Hawkins’ question – steel hidden beneath the soft velvet – was like being dragged by the scruff of the neck back to a reality: where this was Omega’s first day on a new team and he was splayed over a desk with a woman crawling on top of him.
He was all for making good first impressions.
At last, the music possessing Omega’s brain receded, leaving in its wake a lightning migraine, jagged through his face and behind the backs of his eyes. The light was too bright, every sound amplified to agony and the smells…
Hurling all over the office in front of his Inspector on the first day? Did they hand out commendations for that?
‘Merely handling my were.’ The Wolf Charmer – Detective Fox (and no, Omega definitely didn’t reckon she was pack material), pushed off him with a casual flick of her hair.
‘The correct term is Native Briton, Cora.’
Cora snorted. Just for a moment, Omega thought he saw the same laughter in her eyes, as was dancing in his own. But then it died. ‘They’re Were Units; I’m a Were Handler,’ then Cora added as an afterthought, ‘sir.’
Omega could hear the Inspector’s shrug without needing to see it. ‘We’re heading the pilot project; they’ve invested a lot of faith in us and we’re not cocking it up. So a woman as a handler..? You know me, I’m all for inclusion but--’
‘Then why handicap me with a bitch from Were Town? I was promised a Met were.’
‘Watch your language, Detective. Your…Native Briton…was trained in the London unit. Received highest marks, as it happens. He also grew up in Were Town, which gives him the edge in local knowledge. Use it.’
Omega was swinging between pride in being praised and humiliation at being discussed as if he wasn’t there. Still, he’d be their good little police doggy, if it meant he was one step closer to Were Town. Local knowledge?
The single skins had no idea.
‘I handcuff these Were Town beasts,’ Omega could sense Cora’s fury beneath her calm mask – the thrumming vibrations, ‘I don’t play at partner with them.’
The tendrils tightened around Omega, until even through the crimson gag, he yelped.
‘No one on my team plays at partner,’ Inspector Hawkins’ voice was hard. ‘My Office. Now.’
Omega’s body was marionette-like tugged to his feet, before he was marched after the dark figure of Cora: witch wasn’t taking any chances she’d be mistaken for a were.
Everyone had weaknesses and everyone could be played.
The witch’s Goth chick look, leather corset and skirt with fishnet tights (nothing more than a mask), merely coiled her were hatred closer to her heart.
Weakness number one.
‘Only you, Detective Fox, need delight me with your company.’
The red sea flooded out of Omega at the Inspector’s sardonic bark, seeking comfort in its mistress, tendrils curling from Omega’s mouth, chest, and every intimate…private…part of him. He staggered, finding himself caught in Zach’s arms.
Omega allowed himself a moment’s rest, as he rubbed the agony in his pounding forehead, needing the touch. He wished Zach knew to stroke him, nuzzle and lick.
Like he’d ever had that anyway… Maybe someone had invented an app..?
Omega ritualistically pushed his own curls back, combing his fingers through them to self-comfort. As always, it worked.
He’d faced more merciless monsters than the Wolf Charmer before – and now he was back? He was going to be facing them again.
Omega shook himself, as he grinned.
‘Was that the CID initiation you warned me about? Because I imagined it’d be us getting bladdered, and then tying me naked to the front of the station.’
Zach bit at his lip, his expression troubled. ‘Are all handlers like that then?’
‘Nah, looks like the witch’s just special.’
‘Why do you call her..?’
‘No reason she’d like.’ Omega grimaced when he glanced down at the neat papers on Zach’s desk, which were now sodden with milk. ‘And they say it isn’t all paperwork in the police. Need a hand?’
Zach nodded, but even before they’d started to sort through the damp files, Zach asked hesitantly, ‘Why does Cora want to control you?’
‘Who wouldn’t? I’m adorable.’
But inside? Omega squirmed.
Good question: Goddess Moon, it was all.
Because beneath the coldness of those green eyes – the witch had relished every second.
She’d been consumed by the power.
****
Want to find out what happens next in Rebel Werewolves Volume 1: Moon Broken?
Moon Broken is released 2018. Then sit back and experience the thrilling mystery of Were Town…