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to join their pack of dark
wolves. Andre shifted to his wolf form as a black, smoke-like mass surrounded
him. He sank his sharp teeth into the side of the other man’s neck, giving him
a bit of his dark magic to turn him into a new kind of werewolf. The lone wolf
screamed in pain and dropped to the floor of the once-abandoned cabin the pack
called home as the turning took hold of him. Tanner smiled, relishing the pain
of another.
    Andre shifted back to his human form and came to stand in
front of Tanner. “Our numbers are still minimal. We need more lone wolves to
join our pack, especially if we are ever to take on the sentinels and hope to
defeat them.”
    Tanner drew in a breath. His maker would not be pleased with
what he had to say. “It seems word has spread to the majority of the lone
wolves about us trying to recruit them for our pack. Any that I’ve tried to
contact have refused to speak with me.”
    “And how did this information first reach them?” Andre asked
the question in a tone that conveyed he already knew the answer but wanted
Tanner to tell him anyway.
    “The lone wolf who turned down my offer must have passed it
along.”
    “Of course. And this same lone wolf allowed the six
sentinels to follow him to your meeting place where they then in turn followed
you to the old warehouse where we’d held Ketah’s mate.”
    Tanner nodded. That run-in with the wolf brothers had led to
Tanner being defeated by the first werewolves and Andre having to trade Ketah’s
mate for his return. It had surprised him that his maker would have done it
since the woman had given Andre the upper hand. He still had no idea why Andre
had felt Tanner was so special to have willingly given in to the sentinels.
    “Yes, it was my mistake,” Tanner said. “I should have been
more careful. I should have realized I was being followed.”
    “Now we have to look elsewhere to increase our pack’s
numbers. I hadn’t wanted to use them but I really don’t have much choice. We’ll
start turning mortals.”
    Tanner scowled. “You want to give prey the gift of your dark
magic?”
    “Yes, but not just any mortals. I’m sure you can find ones
who will be perfect dark wolves. I want all the undesirables, those who thumb
their noses at the law. The meaner they are the better.”
    The lone wolf’s screams finally died away as he slipped into
unconsciousness. “Will they even be able to survive the turn? They are so much
weaker than regular werewolves.”
    “True, the strong ones will make it through it. It will weed
out the mortals who wouldn’t be right for our pack. They might act tough, but
going through the turn will be the first big test they’ll have to pass.”
    “But mortals are beneath us. Why don’t we start taking
werewolves from the local pack? Your bite will make them dark wolves whether
they chose to join us or not.”
    Andre curled his upper lip and growled as he grabbed Tanner
by the throat. His maker slammed him up against the wall, his grip cutting off
most of his airway. “It was because of your stupidity we lost our means of
recruiting lone wolves. Don’t question me again. You will do as I order and
nothing more. Do I make myself clear?”
    “Yes,” Tanner croaked.
    His maker abruptly released him, and Tanner dragged in a
deep breath. “Don’t disappoint me,” Andre said. “We’ve suffered too many
setbacks.”
    Tanner didn’t want to do that. He’d already seen what
happened when a member of their pack failed at a task Andre had set to him. As
punishment, and deeming them no longer worthy, his maker pulled the gift of his
dark magic from the werewolf and he died, turning to dust. Tanner wanted to
keep living the immortal life he now had.
    He left the cabin and headed for his car. He wouldn’t return
until he had at least two mortals with him. He still didn’t like the idea of
their kind being given the gift of Andre’s bite, but Tanner wouldn’t go against
his maker’s order.
    * * * *