Brooke and the Wolf

Brooke and the Wolf Curses of Midnight Springs Valerie Jo Copyright Brooke and the Wolf: Curses of Midnight Springs Copyright © 2023 Valerie Jo All rights reserved Cover Design by Miblart.com 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Printed in the United States of America This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any persons, living or dead, is completely coincidental. The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for third-party websites or their content. Books by Valerie Jo Books by Valerie JoThe Curses of Midnight Springs Series:Brooke and the WolfRaven and the GhostJuliet and the AssassinHolly and the Unseen Free Audiobook Would you like to get the free audiobook version of Brooke and the Wolf: Curses of Midnight Springs? Details can be found at the end of Chapter Four! Contents Dedication Prayer 1. Peter 2. Brooke 3. Peter 4. Brooke 5. Free Audiobook! 6. Peter 7. Brooke 8. Peter 9. Brooke 10. Peter 11. Brooke 12. Peter 13. Brooke 14. Peter 15. Brooke 16. Peter 17. Brooke 18. Peter 19. Brooke 20. Peter 21. Brooke 22. Peter 23. Brooke 24. Peter 25. Brooke 26. Peter 27. Brooke 28. Peter 29. Brooke 30. Peter 31. Brooke 32. Peter Dr. Haskins Dedication Prayer L ord, Thank you for all of the people you have placed in my path to help get this book published. Thank you for giving me the dreams and imagination to spark these stories. Thank you for all of the teachers, coaches, and mentors that helped my writing evolve. Lord, I thank you most of all for my husband and children. I dedicate this book and all others to them. In Jesus’s name I pray, Amen. Disclaimers Cursing: “Bad” words will have **** and will not be spoken aloud in the audio version. “Bad” is, of course, subjective. What’s bad to me might not be bad to you, and vice versa. Religion: I am a Christian and that influences everything I do. However, my characters may or may not be. All of my characters are faulty, and none are modeled after Jesus. Instructional or Fiction? Totally fiction. If my character makes a stupid decision, it does not mean that I’m condoning it or suggesting you do it. Are any aspects of the book true? No, they are not. When I write a paranormal romance novel, it’s because I had a crazy dream that I decided to spin into a story. If you’re looking for real life, read my memoir about my grandparents or my nonfiction books on business. Romance: PG-13. Characters are going to kiss and “do stuff.” It’s going to be swoony, maybe steamy, but never spicy. Intended Age Range: 15+. My main characters are usually between the ages of 18-23. 1 Peter I saw the beautiful stranger steal the fish I had worked so hard to catch this morning, but I didn’t say anything. I recognized desperation when I saw it. Hunger was obvious to those who had been hungry. She had stared at the fish for a long time before making her move, likely contemplating how to get away with it. Her hands twitched toward it, so slightly that I wasn’t even sure if she knew she was doing it. I turned away from her to help another customer, and when I turned back to see if she needed help too, I saw her drop the fish into her clunky, oversized brown purse and disappear back into the bustle of the noon crowd at the farmers’ market. The concern that washed over me was startling. She looked close to my age, but it was hard to tell if she was still in high school or out on her own in the world. I wanted to ask her why she took it, how long it had been since she had her last meal, and if she had a plan to take care of herself. I didn’t say any of those things, of course. The idea was preposterous. I had to keep my distance. If I didn’t get close to people, the odds of getting upset went down dramatically. If I didn’t get upset, I wouldn’t turn into the wolf. If I didn’t turn into the wolf, I wouldn’t hurt anybody again. My guilt was strong enough as it was—I didn’t need anything else to add to my list of regrets and keep me up at night. Staying away from her was the best thing I could do, so I didn’t demand that she pay for the fish . . . and I didn’t offer any personal advice on dealing with hunger. I watched as she moved through the crowd, feigning stealth. She looked as guilty as she was. Depending on how hungry she was, especially if she was to the point of starving, the market would be a torturous place for her. The scent of food was inescapable. Pungent tomato vines seemed to be the loudest of the smells, but you could also pick out the scent of fresh herbs, ripening berries, and the dirt clinging to the root vegetables. If she was experiencing true hunger, as I expected, she wouldn’t have the money to pay for anything here. It would taunt her, just out of her reach, unless she was brave enough to steal it. I knew what that was like. I, too, had resorted to stealing years ago, but I did everything I could to avoid it. I hoped she had done the same. I could forgive an act of desperation, but