Waking Up Dead (The Western Werewolf Legend #1) Read Online Free PDF Page A

his life. While the undergrowth thrived in a
sunless environment, it took on powers he’d never witnessed in
other plant life. Having grown up on a cattle ranch, the growth of
plants was a point of concern most of the time. Here it proved a
point of major concern. When the plants reached out and wrapped
their vines around a man’s leg, bringing him to his knees and
binding him in order to prevent his movement, the phenomenon became
quire.
    Slowing, Ty glanced back at his
companion. “Would you pick up the pace, Abram? We’ll never make it
before nightfall at this pace.” Wiping the sweat from his temple,
he paused with a sudden change of heart. The idea of a brief rest
would do them both good. No sense in pushing his scout to
exhaustion. After all, Abram was the only person with an idea where
they were going.
    Lowering himself to the moss covered
earth, Ty’s eyes cautiously tracked to a nearby Morning Glory vine.
The vine twitched in response causing Ty to roll his eyes skyward.
Only a few days before, he traveled this way in search of Sonja
after she’d become a wolf right before his eyes. Mentally checking
his truths, he corrected himself. He’d traveled in search of the
white wolf, the one that was Sonja. A gnawing feeling of dread
crept past his guard. Slapping his Stetson against his thigh, Ty’s
mind went to her gleaming blonde hair like gold in the
sunlight.
    The mental picture he carried with him
eased some of his foreboding and he dropped his head a moment to
regroup. Was he letting his emotions get the better of him? This
trek through the woods could be a fool’s errand – both ladies had
said as much when he’d announced his decision to save the men he’d
lost because of the attack on the Rebels’ supply train. The fact he
was responsible for that mission weighed heavily on Ty. When the
supply wagons ended up ditched outside of Spotsylvania, speculation
went up about where all the guns had disappeared. Jeb Stewart had
been killed by one of those confederate rifles. The fact a Yankee
soldier carried the gun made their lose that much more
devastating.
    “ Tell me what you know of
Jeb Stewart’s death.”
    Abram dropped his head, sighing. “It’s
a powerful sorry story, sir. The bastards ambushed us at the Yellow
Schoolhouse. Our men were out manned and I would say out gunned
but...”
    “ But what?” Ty urged Abram
to finish.
    “ Well, it’s just peculiar
the way they all but swooped in and attacked, the Yankees I mean.
It happened so quick and without much gunfire.” He shook his head.
“I can’t recall them firing the first shot come to think of it. I
just figured they used their knives and swords. No, they didn’t
fire a shot,” he said with a look of bewilderment creasing his
brow. “All I heard was the men screaming, begging for mercy. I
heard lots of screaming before things got real still. The Yankees
was gone. Hell, I didn’t even hear a cannon go off. Before any of
us knew it, the whole mess was over and the general was dead. I
skedaddled back the way we’d came.”
    Abram’s account sounded familiar to
Ty. The Yankee actions proved similar.
    “ The witch found me and
took me to her place. She said I was lucky.” Abram’s shoulders
hunched. His looked like a whipped dog. “Peculiar how I didn’t feel
all that lucky. But she said I could lead the Rebels to the Yankee
vampires’ hideout.” He tugged off his cap, scratching at his skull.
Bemused, he flicked a hesitant glance at Ty. “Sure was odd how the
strangest feelin’ came over me. Felt like I knew just what she was
talkin’ ‘bout, you know?”
    Ty understood exactly what Abram
meant. The sensation wasn’t new yet at one point not long before,
he’d had the same feelings assail him. The confusion he’d
experienced was something he’d never forget. If a man studied on
the perplexing aspects of the whole thing, he’d surely go mad. Ty
considered how he could best relieve Abram of the worry over
things, which