Oliver Time flew like it never had before. Was this what it was like to be truly happy? Shit, if this was happiness, then I never knew it before. It had been five years since Jules went after Elsie. Five years that had gone by as quick as a cricket. Five blissful years that were a dream compared to all my years before. The first thing we did was weed out all of Jules's cronies after that night. As a whole, we decided it was best if we left them in the hands of the Sundrop pack. They caused unnecessary bloodshed in their pack territory. It was only fitting that they could decide their fates. It also saved us a heap of trouble, making it a win-win for all parties involved. Cirque du Lune officially went belly up the night Jules died in Lousianna—some of the performers and lackeys packed up and left soon after. Without Jules, everyone was free to do what they wanted, without his shadow of tyranny looming over them. Everyone could finally breathe without the threat of poison engulfing t
Unknown POVI laid on the grass underneath the night sky, listening to the faint song of a nearby cricket. I twirled a lock of my hair around my finger as I scanned the cloudy sky, searching for constellations.Was that blood on the moon? It couldn’t be. Blood on the moon was a bad omen. My momma had always said that blood on the moon meant that blood would be spilled. Nothing was going to happen tonight; that was just an old wolves’ tale.Clyde should be coming home soon; nothing would be out of the ordinary. It would be a perfectly normal night. Goddess, how I wished he would hurry up.Clyde should have been home already. Of course, the Alpha needed him l
Oliver“Oliver Graham, get your keister moving! The boss will be in any minute!”I groaned as I rolled off of my bed in the back of the workshop. Sleep had glued my eyes shut during the night. I aggressively rubbed at my lids, just trying to be able to pry them open.My name is Oliver Graham. The year is 1934, and I turned twenty-two a few months ago. I didn’t think there was anything too special about me.When I was a child, I never thought I would be sleeping in the back of a carpenter’s workshop. Covered in a constant layer of dust and living off of the scraps I could afford. I never thought I would be orphaned by twelve, either. Sometimes life is just a bitch.I had done a little bit of everything in the past decade. When my parents first died, I worked as a field hand for a neighbor, but that didn’t last long. I worked in a bakery, mechanic shop, a dinner, a hotel, a mine, a manufacturing plant, and a few other jo
Oliver"Have a good night, Oliver," Richard called over his shoulder as he opened the front door. He had a cigarette hanging out of his mouth as he tipped his hat to me. Richard smoked like a fiend at work; his wife didn't like him to smoke at their home. She said that the cigarettes stunk up their house."Night, boss," I called after him as the door swung shut, wafting one last puff of smoke into the workshop. I made my way through the machinery and tables, enjoying the quiet. I plopped down on my bed, letting my eyes lids close. It wasn't busy or even a demanding day, but I was exhausted. I was perpetually shot. Finally, I heard the rumble of Richard's truck leaving the shop.I pried my body up to rummage through my small chest. This wooden box housed my only belong
Oliver The icy realization of leaving the key to the shop down at the river was devastating. It slowly trickled down my spine before manifesting into a nauseating pit in my stomach. I couldn’t bring myself to go back and retrieve the key. The light of day had dwindled away hours ago, and with whatever was down there, it wasn’t a risk I was willing to take. I loitered outside the workshop until the streets became bare; no noise but the faint hoot of a barn owl somewhere out in the distance. The rest of the town had drifted off into a peaceful slumber. Thank goodness our town was relatively quiet, and no one stayed up late. As I had waited, I had figured out what my plan was going to be. I wasn’t going back to the river, that was for sure, but I couldn’t sleep outside on the street. I knew that the Millers had gotten a new shipment of hay for their horses last weekend. Without another thought, I made my way to their property and waited until the last li
Oliver"Hurry up!" Chester's voice assaulted me as I hastily fumbled with the buttons on my shirt.After I admitted to Chester that I slept in the Miller's barn, he graciously allowed me to follow him home like a lost dog to use his shower.I couldn't tell you the last time I even was in a residential bathroom, let alone a shower. I had forgotten how solid a shower actually felt. I just wanted to let the water rain down on me for hours. I hated to admit I had lost track of time; until Chester banged on the door, pulling me out of my haze."Hold on!" I called through the door as I patted down my damp curls."The rest of the town
OliverA loud clunk followed by a distinctive hum echoed through the tent before six vibrant spotlights fell on the center ring. There he was. Jules was dressed in white britches, knee-high black books, a crimson tailcoat, and a black top hat. His blonde hair was slicked back in his typical hairstyle.Of course, he was the ring leader! Why didn't I think of that before? Why else would a random Frenchman be in town?"Mesdames et Messieurs! I proudly present my wolves!" Jules's voice bounced off of the tent, his last statement catching everyone off guard.Whispers engulfed the audience. "Wolves?" "What does he mean?" "Are we in danger, mommy?"Before I made out any other words, the sound of paws hitting the ground radiated from beside me. I instinctively gulped and scooted closer to the older couple I was sitting beside."It's okay, son." The old man leaned over his wife and tried to comfort me. "I have been to many of a circus, and they alway
OliverThe crowds slowly started to disperse, but I stayed planted in my seat. Time seemed to speed up as I stared at the center ring. It felt like only seconds went by before I realized I was alone in the tent. It was just me and the magic that lingered in the air of the show that I had witnessed.I sighed as I stretched out my joints. I was about to stand up when someone appeared beside me, Jules. He leaned up against the bench I sat on and followed my eyes to the ring."So what did you think of my little show, Mr. Graham?" Sweat clung to Jules's forehead as he pulled out a handkerchief and tried to dab it away."It was a gasser! It's a good thing you are leaving tomorrow,