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Dark Wolf

Dark Series - 25 

by

Christine Feehan

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Many thanks to my sister Anita Toste who always answers my call and has such fun with me writing mage spells.

Thank you to my wonderful daughter Cecilia who also helped with mage spells; rhyming is not my forte, and she only laughed at me a little bit! We certainly had fun.

I have to give a special shout out to C. L. Wilson and Sheila English, who were gracious enough to include me in our power writing sessions. We rocked it, didn’t we?

As always, thanks to Brian Feehan and Domini Stottsberry. They worked long hours to help me with everything from brainstorming ideas and doing research to edits. There are no words to describe my gratitude or love for them. Thank you all so very much!

1

Skyler Daratrazanoff pulled the long black shawl closer, making certain her hair was covered and there was little to see of her face. Her heart beat so hard she was afraid anyone close would hear. Everything hinged on making the official believe her. Josef had forged the papers, and he was the best. He could hack any computer, provide information or get it. She didn’t doubt for a minute that the papers he created would be in order and pass close scrutiny, but she still had to make the official believe her.

The tin building was rusted and looked as if it might fall apart at any moment. A man came forward to meet her, looking solemn as the casket was wheeled ahead of her into the shade of the building. Fortunately the sun was setting and shadows fell around her, helping to make it more difficult to see her clearly.

“Your papers?” he said. His voice was kind. The name on his badge identified him as Erno Varga.

She glanced back toward the small plane she’d flown to the airport and then handed her papers to the official, making certain her eyes were downcast and she looked weepy. She had taken care to use drops to make her eyes red and watery, just in case she couldn’t pull off acting on her own.

Varga looked over her papers and then up at her several times with sharp, disbelieving eyes. “You’re young to be bringing home your brother’s body alone. No one else is traveling with you?”

She shook her head, trying to look more tragic than ever. “My father is dead, and now my brother. ” She choked back a sob worthy, she was certain, of an Oscar performance. “There is no one else to bring him home to our mother. ”

The official looked at her again and studied her papers closer. “He died of a broken heart?” There was skepticism in his voice.

Skyler nearly choked. When I get my hands on you, Josef, you’re going to die of more than a broken heart. She used her telepathic connection with Josef to let him know he was in huge trouble.

A terrible tragedy. Josef was unrepentant as always. There was amusement in his tone. No matter how serious a situation, he didn’t mind in the least being mischievous.

She managed to keep a straight face and gave Varga a solemn nod. “He just wasted away when his girl left him. He refused to eat. ” She had no choice but to go with it, even if it meant twisting her fingers together hard in order to prevent the official from seeing she was shaking. “It’s a terrible tragedy. Nothing could save him. ”