Black Werewolves
Books 1–4
Gaja J. Kos
Contents
Kolovrat Universe
The Dark Ones
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
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Epilogue
The 24hourlies
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
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Epilogue
Chapter 31.5
Thank you for reading THE 24HOURLIES
The Shift
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
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Epilogue
Keep on reading for a bonus chapter!
Bonus Chapter
The Ascension
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
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Epilogue
Keep on reading for a bonus story!
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7
Enter the New Kolovrat with Lotte Freundenberger
Pronunciation guide and dictionary
About the Author
Also by Gaja J. Kos
Kolovrat Universe
The Black Werewolves series sits at the heart of the “Present” portion of the Kolovrat universe. However, several other works exist in the same sphere.
Each series/standalone title can be read individually, or as a whole for a more complex insight into the universe where myth and reality blend into one.
* * *
PRESENT
* * *
BLACK WEREWOLVES SERIES
Urban fantasy
* * *
Novels:
The Dark Ones
The 24hourlies
The Shift
The Ascension
* * *
Novellas:
Never Forgotten
Chased
* * *
NIGHTWRAITH SERIES
Paranormal romance
* * *
Windstorm
Blackstorm
Nightstorm
* * *
FUTURE
* * *
PARADISE OF SHADOWS AND DEVOTION
Standalone paranormal romance, available exclusively through the Sirens & Scales anthology
(Only 99c for a limited time)
* * *
LOTTE FREUNDENBERGER SERIES
Urban fantasy
* * *
Shadow Moon
* * *
DESTINY RECLAIMED
Urban fantasy standalone novella, available exclusively through the Fall of Magic anthology
The Dark Ones
Copyright © 2016 by Gaja J. Kos
Second, revised edition copyright © 2017 by Gaja J. Kos
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the prior permission of the author.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
For my two darling Chinese Cresteds, Leeroy and Merkaba, who kept me company while I slaved away behind the computer.
For my mom, who read every ch
apter moments after I had finished it, her comment being: “Well, I'm waiting for the next one...”
And finally, for Boris, my husband, my best friend and the indisputable love of my life. On Earth and in Veles' realm.
Thank you.
Chapter 1
The August sun came down hard on Rose's skin as she sat under the barely-existing shadows of the pine trees. There was a soft murmur of traffic coming from the nearby street, but she was alone as she knew she’d be.
The small stone enclosure was her private oasis in the middle of the city, something she had stumbled upon in her early teens and revisited each time she needed to let her thoughts flow or simply take a few breaths in solitude without any outside pressure heaving on her shoulders. She propped her back against the stone wall and looked up. The green of the pine tree branches softly brushed against the vivid blue sky. She always felt alone, even lonely, gazing towards the sky, the branches lazily swaying in the warm summer wind, but she couldn’t keep herself from doing it. There was something beautiful hidden behind the sadness.
She still had an hour to kill before the pub meet-up. She wasn’t particularly enthusiastic about going since it meant having to navigate the packed streets of Ljubljana, but at least it was something to occupy herself with. Things were always moving slow when summer was coming to an end, and this particular summer wasn’t any different. She dug a can of Coke out of her leather backpack–it was still quite cool, for which she was immensely grateful–and took a long sip.
Maybe we'll get an assignment this evening, she thought while she remembered there was something slightly stiffer in the air when Mark had contacted them about the meet-up. She let the liquid spread in her mouth before gulping it down, almost finishing the whole can and topping it with a small burp. She let out a husky laugh, thinking about the usual shock that came across people’s faces when someone so feminine as she dealt out burps so liberally. But then again, when you were part wolf, growling kind of came with the territory. As did the freedom from censure.
As the sun hid behind the pine trees, she knew it was her cue to go. She pulled her strawberry blonde curls into a tight ponytail, brushed off the back of her shorts, and walked out onto a barely visible path. When she emerged from the small park, reaching the sun-dipped pavement, the heat was almost unbearable. She cursed under her breath for not insisting on a much later hour for the meet-up. They were a bunch of supes; after all, it wasn’t like they were afraid of the dark…
She made a few turns and slowly entered the city center. Somehow, the small-but-wants-to-be-a-megalopolis capital of Slovenia was always filled with tourists in the summer months, which was actually a nice change from seeing the same local faces over and over again; however, that didn't alter the fact that she wasn’t particularly pleased with just how crowded it got. Too many people on too narrow streets always made her uneasy–they weren’t a threat, not for the larger part, at least. The city practically burst with shopping-driven tourists, and it didn’t exactly leave much personal space.
It always amused her how Paris never seemed as crowded; the Champs-Élysées maybe, but she never felt confined or anxious. The city knew how to breathe, while Ljubljana was still at the beginning of the learning curve. Consoled by the thought that her return wasn’t that far away, Rose made her way through the masses, bypassing the main attractions while still keeping close to the bank for the magnificent view it offered. She may not have been among the biggest fans of Ljubljana, but even she couldn’t deny that in the right light–or maybe in the right moment–the old town was nothing less than breathtaking.
She could hear several street musicians spread across the main and not-so-main streets nearby, their sounds slightly clashing–a textbook example for when she wished she didn’t have augmented hearing; the ever-present babble of tourists only emphasized the sensation. She expanded a bit of her energy to filter the important sounds from the unnecessary, keeping the audio distractions to the minimum. Overly summerish days never agreed with her, her body working in overdrive to keep her cool, but over the years she had learned how to compartmentalize her energy between the heat and the distractions while still retaining perfect control. And at that very moment, she was more than glad to possess that particular set of skills.
Fixedly, she progressed through the streets dipped in the evening light. There were fewer people northeast of the main square, and as the well-known setting of Pri Sojenicah slowly formed in the distance, Rose was completely at ease. Even from this far away, she could see the familiar tall, broad-shouldered figure standing next to a packed table. Frank. She smiled at the thought of seeing her friend who also worked as the bartender at Pri Sojenicah–something she always looked upon as a blessing. His easiness in life never failed to lift her spirits, and if this meet-up brought problems to the table (as their gatherings usually did), she more than needed his down-to-earth input; not to mention he mixed the meanest martinis she had ever tasted.
“Here comes the last one,” a deep voice echoed over the terrace with a hint of a smile lingering underneath the words.
“Hi to you, too, Mark.” Rose tapped his shoulder. “Took my time so you wouldn't be the last one to haul his ass over here, at least once.”
He flashed her a smile, showing off his canines, the few silver strands in his beard reflecting the early evening light.
“Keep that for the ladies.” Rose winked at him, turned around to give Frank a tight hug before the werewolf returned to the other patrons, and took her seat.
She found herself in the usual setting. Mark, Evelin, Tim, and the twins, Jens and Jürgen. Rose was glad to see that Zarja was missing from the mix–maybe the Double J team had something to do with her absence. Out of the bunch, they did know the most. Rose truly didn't have the energy to deal with her passive-aggressive remarks along with whatever was about to come her way.
“No strays today, I see,” she observed.
Pri Sojenicah was partly shielded from regulars, but from time to time, those who were more sensitive, more open to the supernatural part of the world, would end up occupying a table or two. Somehow, the subtle layer of glamor that made the bar unappealing to humans didn't have any effect on those particular people.
“Thank Belobog for that,” Evelin said with a seriousness in her voice Rose wasn't used to. “I don't think the Gamayun would appreciate the extra company.”
Rose pulled a new pack of cigarettes out of her backpack and proceeded to light one in silence. She had expected something to come up at the meeting; however, her imagination hadn't stretched that far out. After she stabilized her pulse, she dared to ask, “The Gamayun is coming here?”
No one answered, but their eyes sent out a clear yes. The shift in atmosphere was almost suffocating; however, neither of the werewolves had the strength to break the silence just yet. Rose let the cigarette smoke fill her lungs–a bad habit she wanted to kick out of her repertoire, even though human substances had a different, less altering effect on supes, and had failed every time she decided to quit.
She tried to get her thoughts together, recollecting as many historical and legendary facts she could conjure up in her memory. As far as she knew, the Gamayun didn't leave her place of dwelling unless they were on the verge of something catastrophic. Silently, she hoped that the situation wasn't that bad; she couldn't dismiss the fact that something clearly had to be dealt with, but maybe the Gamayun had changed her rigid rules of travel and came to discuss something of merely moderate catastrophic potential. Still, she knew she was lying to herself. Rose let go of any false hope she might have harbored; it was safer to be grounded when it came to disagreeable situations.