January 2025 WipWordSearch Excerpts Week 1

“You were a victim. We all were,” Artemis said, doing her best to sound confident despite the tears welling in the corner of her eyes. They made the blue #shine brighter.

At the sight of her undistorted face, Thomas’ false smile #slid from his lips like oil on water.

Overwhelmed by revulsion and pain, Thomas howled. He grabbed the neck of a broken wine bottle rolling near his feet and

#swiped the broken edges across the attacker’s face.

Thomas broke off before he let it #slip the attacker had bitten him. Thomas glanced at Artemis. He was skirting the details, and hoped Artemis wouldn’t press him.

One tripped over himself and dropped a small hawthorn stake. Thomas groaned, #spinning around and racing the blood junkie for the stake.

“You don’t need to make us keys.” Penny glared at Sean as he wiped crumbs from his face. “You’re usually home anyway. We can #start knocking.”

“Thomas already does,” Artemis replied.

Penny, Sean, and Nelson stared at Thomas.

“You knock?” Sean asked.

His ears rang and his head spun as he stood. His legs shook, but he remained standing. Only one thought made #sense.

Run.

Her heart beat faster, tempting Thomas further. “Maybe you’ve come out scarred, and maybe you’re afraid of what you might become, but the way I #see it you saved Sean’s life and that’s all that matters.”

Not only did he look like a monster, Thomas realized with a shudder—he was one.

Lawrence rested a hand on Thomas’ shoulder and gave it a reassuring #squeeze.

“I’m afraid so, kid. Welcome to the fold.”

Her eyes dimmed and her heart rate slowed as her attention was redirected. She seemed oblivious to his #struggle to keep from hurting her.

Thomas tried to #spit it out, but the hand pressed harder and Thomas gagged.

It would have been easier if you were still human, but we’re so different now. And there’s no way our packs will let this #slide.

The wolf she’d bitten into howled and tried to throw her off, snapping. Clara clenched her jaw, holding on with all her might. The Howler #swiped at her with its back legs and she felt its claws dig into her flank.

Because of the nature of their curse, if a problem befell a werewolf, the first and immediate assumption of other werewolves was that you had lost control and let the wolf #slip free.

She #spun around, doing everything in her willpower to bury the wolf that nearly escaped from the excitement.

They followed a narrow trail behind the house into the trees, traveling as far away from the Lodge as possible before they were forced to #start their hunt.

Half an hour later the potion’s now intense buzzing #sensation nearly overwhelmed her focus. She’d transform soon.

Clara’s vision blurred with a red haze. She could no longer #see what the wolf was doing. She’d been forced out, and the wolf was in complete control.

Lawrence had already #squeezed the trigger.

Her silent #struggle lasted eons before she could calm herself enough to move again. Her breathing remained ragged, and her emotions still hurt. She couldn’t do this here.

A werewolf territory #spat at the same time as a vampire turf war couldn’t be good, even for a city as populated as Colesbrooke.