Between Dog and Wolf E-Book

Chelsy Isreal

• Herausgeber: BooxAi
• Kategorie: Fantasy und Science-Fiction
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023

Beschreibung

An elderly French American woman, Beatrice Hans, and her dog living in Perry, Texas. On the way home from visiting her late husbands' grave they are attacked by a chupacabra. Luckily for them both there are more supernatural beings hiding out in this town than one would suspect, and some mean to help. Coming to their aid, a young Navajo American werewolf girl named Ezra Tsinaji, allows them a safe but scathed retreat. The pack will have their work cut out for them as the town of Perry becomes the beasts hunting ground and none are safe. Beatrice has nothing to do but be herself, nurturing her own natural powers to save the town and people she seeks to protect. There is always more than meets the eye within this tale, magic hides within plain sight.

Leseprobe

Chelsy Isreal

Between Dog and Wolf

Entre Chien et Loup

All rights reserved

Copyright © 2023 by Chelsy Isreal

No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

Published by BooxAi

ISBN: 978-965-578-290-5

BETWEEN DOG AND WOLF

ENTRE CHIEN ET LOUP

CHELSY ISREAL

CONTENTS

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

CHAPTER1

A soft, sharp, southern French voice carried serenely through the heavy air of the graveyard. "Mon Chou (my sweet bun), Gunter, how I miss you. I know how much you hated the idea of getting old. I'm here to say you aren't missing out on much. Chasing around Chien (boy dog) and Chat (boy cat) keeps me in shape, though, I must say they haven't lost any weight. Winnie is now old enough to help me get around. You don't need a license for a horse and carriage. Winnie's reflexes have aged better than mine, so I let her take the reins. My memory isn't so hot these days either, but I do believe I have a few extra years on me than he does, so I can't complain. I manage well enough, c'est la vie. I'm not sure what is keeping us from reuniting with you, but each day I wake with the happiness you gave me. I love you, my darling." Beatrice Hans spoke through choked-back sobs to a well-maintained headstone. She closed her eyes in an attempt to suppress the tears that were threatening to break free, plopping the flowers she had cut from her garden upon his grave. Chien sniffed at the loosely wrapped yellow roses. He sensed her sadness but did not share in it. She had gotten the dark-haired German shepherd after realizing the lack of warmth and emptiness in the bed beside her was unbearable. {Gunter Hans, Honorable Man, Beloved Husband, born 1919 - died 1971} A much-needed rain was blowing in from the west. Beatrice basked in the light breeze that cooled off the late spring afternoon. She would have to leave soon if she intended on making it home before the rainfall began. Yet she couldn't help but linger a moment longer, not yet ready to say another goodbye to Gunter. Beatrice is not one for languishing. However, she hadn't been able to visit as often as in the past. Her worn-out joints did not allow for her to kneel on the ground, feeling the earth between her fingers and toes. Her tired lungs and shaking body did not give her the choice of sitting with his spirit throughout the day. With one last kiss, she let out a sigh. She placed her hand upon Gunter's headstone. She gathered the skirt of her garments in one hand, Chien's leash in the other, carrying on out the cemetery gates. Whinny was tied loosely to the fence surrounding the graveyard. He waited patiently as she and Chien climbed aboard the carriage, trading one leash for another. Chien rested his head on her blanketed lap. He let out a purring whine matching the melancholic mood. Winnie began the trek home; dust blew from his would-be white mane. Black spots scattered strikingly against the ivory painted across his body. He had inherited this beautiful coloring from his mother. Gunter had gotten Nay for Beatrice as an anniversary gift from a rescue ranch she used to volunteer at. Nay is now keeping Gunter company in the land of the dead while Winnie and Beatrice look after one another. She took solace in the fact that, in their last moments, they felt love. She had always been lucky, but with Gunter, she said she had been blessed. The roads of Perry, Texas, are maintained by the locals who remain capable in the area. A few have trucks they use to haul in the gravel while their children and other townsfolk help to spread it evenly during the beginning of summer. Beatrice hadn't been able to aid in the manual labor, but when the time comes, she makes fresh blackberry lemonade and pecan pies for those who turn up to help. The weather washes the road out during winter and spring, so the ride is a bit rough around this time of year. There are occasional cypress tree roots that have grown into the road, unhindered by modern progression. Dust rose slightly as a car turned into the county road leading to the neighboring ranch. She waved politely in case they looked back and pulled the lap blanket up a little further. Counting the bales of hay as she passed by them, mindlessly petting Chien. The darkening sky cools the air. Goosebumps rise along the back of her neck. She thinks nothing of it, looking towards the faint glow of solar-powered lights lining her driveway, until a series of ferocious snarls startled Winnie. He reared up, only just managing to avoid detaching the lone latch keeping the carriage and buggy together. While Beatrice was regaining control over Winnie, Chien jumped out and darted into the night. An alarming howl followed by several violent snarls forced her to be unwieldy and exit the precarious carriage herself. Beatrice didn't realize Chien was missing until after the noises had subsided and she was able to get close enough to calm the frantic horse down. She called to Chien from the edge of the lane, not wanting to leave Winnie alone on the road but not willing to let Chien wander out and get himself injured. She decided to lead Winnie quickly back home to also get some flashlights. ‘It wouldn't do to get myself hurt. Then we'd both be in trouble.' she thought. The house wasn't far, and Winnie was eager to return to his stable. She couldn't see much along the way back. Her vision, even with a fresh pair of glasses, was similar to looking through a smudged window. Shadows would dart in and out of the corner of her eye, believing it could be Chien. Beatrice ushered Winnie along with the reins. Once closer to the driveway, she could see somewhat better. Solar lights, like lightning bugs, littered her property as she took Winnie back to his stables, making sure to give him a few fresh apples she tried to keep on hand for him as a treat. He surely deserved one after such a tough evening. During the right season, they would be from her own trees, permitting they had survived the summer, but this spring is hydrating them well, so hopefully, they’ll make it through this year. The bright blue barn stood out next to the dark gray house it shadowed. The barn was a simple, cozy, one-level design. Gunter had knocked out a wall when Nay gave birth to Winnie for more room. With years of familiarity, she plucked the flashlight from the hook near the door and took off on her rescue mission. While walking through the high grass and cypress trees, looking for signs of Chien, she tripped over more than a couple of roots sticking up from the ground. With her eyesight, it was difficult to spot them before she'd already made the damning step. Beatrice heard a low whimpering sound but couldn't quite place which direction it was coming from. She paused a moment, steadied the flashlight between her knees, and pulled the hearing aid out of her left ear. As she was fidgeting with the volume, her balance became wobbly, making her drop the hearing aid in an attempt to steady herself. Incidentally, she didn't hear the cry of the beast that almost took her life or that of the beast which saved it. While Beatrice scrambled to her knees, searching for her lost hearing aid, a muted battle ensued. What she believed to be the beginnings of a storm were, in truth, the cracking of bones and the snapping of teeth. "Now, Beatrice, you are no good to Chien in this state. Pull yourself together and get yourselves home before this rain begins to fall. Otherwise, you'll both catch a cold or, worse, get struck by lightning." Beatrice spoke aloud to herself, gathering her wits. She set the light down and ran her hands across the ground. Finding the hearing aid among fallen leaves with the battery knocked out, she shook her head, placed it in her breast pocket, and slowly got back to her feet. She turned around, facing the fight to which she'd been oblivious. Her sights first went to the open mouth lined with pointy teeth and an outstretched tongue dripping with blood. Then moving up to the bulging reptilian eyes, which were distractedly squinting from the light. With a hissing scream that rattled the leaves from the trees, the creature bound into the air with a hop and a leap. Even without aid, it shook her eardrums. Beatrice could barely believe what she had just seen. However, she was quickly snapped from her shock. A massive black wolf stood on its hind legs with Chien cradled in its arms. There was blood pooling on the ground beneath them. It was hard to tell who much of it was from. The wolf leaned down towards Beatrice to show her the labored breathing coming from Chien. With a gasp, she motioned the wolf to follow her, turning toward the house.

CHAPTER2